Systems and methods for composite glass

Abstract

Systems and methods are directed toward lightweight glass composite materials that include one or more additives to increase a fracture toughness and strength of a resulting object while also decreasing an overall weight of the resulting object. One or more additives may be incorporated into one or more regions of the resulting object to form a composite glass structure. The one or more additives may be added during a formation process, such as along a mold surface while the remaining glass structure is still malleable. The resulting object may then be formed using a thinner wall, reducing an overall weight of the resulting object.

Description

Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPOSITE GLASSBACKGROUND

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 733,287, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPOSITE GLASS,” filed December 12, 2024, the full disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.BACKGROUND1. Field of Disclosure

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for composite glass applications. Specifically, one or more embodiments are related to a composition for composite glass and one or more composite glass manufacturing processes.2. Description of Related Art

[0003] Glass is one of the earliest man-made materials, having been made for over 4,000 years. Because of its wide availability, cost effectiveness, and unique mechanical, chemical, thermal, and optical properties, glass is currently found in many applications. Glass manufacturers are pivotal suppliers across various sectors, including construction, manufacturing, automotive, telecommunications, and consumer products. Data from Precedence Research indicates that the global glass manufacturing market, valued at $178.81 billion in 2022, is projected to reach $312.74 billion by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8% over the forecast period. This trajectory underscores the market's substantial profitability and growth potential.

[0004] Several key factors are driving this expansion, including increased construction activities, a global shift towards glass as a preferred material over plastic, the burgeoning electric vehicle market, and the anticipated surge in demand from numerous infrastructure projects proposed underAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 various government initiatives, green energy, datacenters, and / or the like. These elements collectively contribute to the robust growth prospects within the glass manufacturing industry. In 2023, the industry revenue of the United States glass product manufacturing industry was $31 billion. In 2022, about 41.4 million tons of glass were exported around the world. For example, the top five glassware exporters in 2022 were Germany, China, Portugal, the Netherlands, and France. Their exports totaled around 6.7 million tons of glass packaging - or 44% of total glass exports.

[0005] While glass has a large market potential, and has virtually no competition in some markets such as construction, and / or competes well in other markets, such as containers made with aluminum, for a variety of reasons, glass may not be used in place of other alternative materials. For example, polymer materials may be lighter weight, and therefore, may have reduced shipping costs. Additionally, polymers may be easier to manufacture from oil and natural gas precursors and may have desirable mechanical properties, for example, because polymers may be light weight and despite of considerable deformation and shape distortion, can still hold the content of a container, as opposed to glass, which may be subject to cracking and content loss due to impacts. However, polymer materials are often not recyclable or have limited end uses when recycled and may have other harmful environmental effects such as micro- and nano-plastics spread in the ecosystems.SUMMARY

[0006] Applicant recognized the problems noted above herein and conceived and developed embodiments of systems and methods, according to the present disclosure, for composite glass systems and methods which can provide a superior glass product capable of competing with plastic containers.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0007] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure are directed toward the use of one or more functional additives to increase strength and fracture toughness of a composite glass. Such performance enhancement is achieved by the incorporation of small fiber materials, for example basalt-fibers or nano-aluminum oxide (A12O3) fibers or whiskers. As a result, container walls may be thinner, thereby using less material, which may further reduce weight of the resultant glass objects, which further reduces the costs due to the overall reduced quantity of material used in production, while also reducing the transportation costs, all of which are desirable outcomes for the end-user. In at least one embodiment, the composite glass structure may be used to form one or more target shapes and objects including at least one of a bottle, a jar, a container, a block, a tile, a flat, or a tube.

[0008] As discussed herein, objects formed from the composite class may be formed using a variety of methods, including commonly used “Blow-and-Blow” or a “Press-and-Blow” methods. Additionally, from pulverized glass pastes based on ambient / production floor temperatures the compositive glass structure and / or the corresponding glass objects may be formed from glass powder and fiber compositions using methods of ceramic processing such as cold / hot pressing, centrifugal methods, extrusion methods, and / or three-dimensional (3D) printing deposition methods to form and densify the glass object with enhanced strength and fracture toughness. Embodiments of the present disclosure enable the production of bottles / containers in virtually any shape, offering clients the opportunity to create highly customized designs. The composite glass structure of the present disclosure is tuned to increase a fracture toughness of the composite glass, compared to glass without the additives. As a result, the composite glass structure may be lighter than an equivalent object made from non-composite glass because the composite glass structure may have thinner walls, and as a result use less material. Accordingly, the incorporation of suchAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 additives and corresponding technology enhancement can provide a cost-effective system for producing glass structures using composite glass.

[0009] In an embodiment, a method includes forming a flowable glass melt. The method also includes applying, to at least a portion of an interior surface of a mold, one or more additives. The method further includes directing the flowable glass melt into the mold to position at least a portion of the flowable glass melt along at least the portion of the interior surface. The method includes forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a chemical structure including at least a first chemical structure of the flowable glass melt and a second chemical structure of the one or more additives.

[0010] In an embodiment, a method includes forming a flowable glass melt that includes one or more additives, such as fibers, which may be micro- or nano-sized. The method further includes directing the flowable glass melt into a mold to position at least a portion of the flowable glass melt along at least the portion of an interior surface. The method includes forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a chemical structure including at least a first chemical structure of the flowable glass melt and a second chemical structure of the one or more additives.

[0011] In another embodiment, a composite glass structure includes a glass matrix and a plurality of mineral inclusions incorporated into the glass matrix, wherein the plurality of mineral inclusions include additives of less than 300 micrometers having a weight of at least 0.01 percent of a total weight of the composite glass structure.

[0012] In an embodiment, a method includes forming a flowable glass melt. The method also includes applying, to at least a portion of an interior surface of a mold, one or more fiber additives. The method further includes directing the flowable glass melt into the mold to position at least a portion of the flowable glass melt along at least the portion of the interior surface. The method also includes forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a chemical structureAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 including at least a first chemical structure of the flowable glass melt and a second chemical structure of the one or more additives. The method further includes causing controlled cooling and / or post cooling thermal / chemical treatment of the composite glass object to form a target microstructure configured to provide an improved mechanical performance. In one or more embodiments, a glass composition of the composite glass object includes a first layer / phase that is different in chemical structure than a second layer / phase. In at least one embodiment, the first layer / phase and the second layer / phase are pre-blended in a solid state in which the pre-blended solid state may be present at an ambient and / or production floor temperature. The pre-blended solid state may be melted to a liquid state at a temperate of approximately 1300 degrees Celsius (°C) to approximately 1650 °C to form the glass composition of the composite glass object upon cooling.

[0013] In an embodiment, a method to form a uniform single phase / uniform composition object includes forming a composite additive-modified flowable glass melt including a flowable glass melt with one or more fiber additives. The method also includes directing the composite additive- modified flowable glass melt into a mold to position the composite additive-modified flowable glass melt along an interior surface. The method further includes forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a structure including at least one or more fiber additives, which can remain as a separate phase with clearly defined interface between a glass matrix and the one or more fiber additives and / or upon cooling, forming chemically distinct inclusions within a structure of the glass matrix. The method may also includes causing controlled cooling and / or post cooling thermal / chemical treatment of the composite glass object to form a desired microstructure and improved mechanical performance.

[0014] In an embodiment, a method used to form a composite glass object may include one or more additives formed of at least one of steel alloy fibers, shape memory alloy fibers, a bulkAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 metallic glass (BMG), a BMG-matrix composite fibers, glass fibers, an E-glass, an S-glass, an A- glass, a C-glass, an AR-glass, basalt fibers, mullite fibers, wollastonite fibers, sepiolite fibers, zirconium dioxide (ZrCh) fibers, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibers, carbon fibers, bamboo fibers, organic fibers, or combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, adding the one or more additives, such as fibers, to a glass structure, which as discussed herein may be a flowable glass melt, may be used to a composite glass structure including at least one or more fiber additives. In operation, the one or more fiber additives may remain as a separate phase with a clearly defined interface between a glass matrix associated with the flowable glass melt and the one or more additives. Furthermore, in one or more alternative or additional embodiments, the one or more additives may completely, or at least partially melt, but upon cooling, thereby forming chemically distinct inclusions / phases within the structure of the glass matrix. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to form a compositive class object which has an improved mechanical performance, which may correspond to a target fracture toughness, while the composite glass object has a lower weight than an equivalent glass object formed without the one or additives.

[0015] In at least one embodiment, the one or more additives include nanoparticles (e.g., one or more additives with at least one dimension of < 100 nm), such as the non-limiting examples of zero-dimension (0D), one-dimension (ID), or two-dimension (2D) nano structures. One or more embodiments may include nanoparticles selected from a group comprising nano silver, silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (A12O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon structures including CNT, CNF, graphene, graphene oxide, fullerenes, astralens, nanodiamonds, zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), YSZ, zirconium carbonitride, Si3N4, SiC, ZrB2, HfB2, ZrC, TaC, NbC, HfN, iron dioxide (Fe2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium oxide (CeO2), clay nanoparticles, or combinations thereof. In embodiments, the one or more additives, which may include either the micron- and / or nano-sized fibers discussed herein, are preblended / deposited on glass powders of similar or differentAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 composition are a main glass melt (e.g., the flowable glass melt, the combination first and second chemical structures, etc.) to create a uniform dispersion within the melt and formation of fiber- reinforced glass matrix. Such pre-blending can be realized in high intensity mixers, des-integrators, or a range of the mills such as ball mill, vibrational mill, planetary mill, and / or attrition mills. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment, the micron- and / or nano-sized additives, prior to their deposition onto the glass powders, may be further dispersed with surfactants to form a water based slurry / suspension, such as by using ultrasonication. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the micron- and / or nano-sized fibers may be pre-coated prior to incorporation into the melt, such as by nano-sized particles to create a refractory shield resistant to highly alkaline glass melts of up to 1650 °C. In one or more embodiments micro- and / or nano-particle additives and fiber coatings may be selected from a group comprising borides, nitrides, and / or carbides of Group III-V metals of periodic table, such as ZrB2, HfB2, LaB6, YB6, ZrC, TaC, NbC, HfN, further doped with rare- earth additives such as La2O3 and Gd2O3. Furthermore, the micro- and / or nano-particles additives and fiber coating may additionally, or alternatively, be selected from a group, individually or in combination with the other group, including ZrB2-HfB2, ZrB2-ZrC (20% by volume of SiC, called ZS20), ZS20-LaB6, (5% by weight of LaB6), ZrB2-SiC (5% by volume of SiC), HfB2-SiC (20% by volume of SiC)- LaB6 (5% by weight of LaB6). In embodiments where nano-coatings are used, a refractory interface between the fiber and matrix may be less than 10% (such as , 1% or less) by weight of the coated fiber / inclusion.

[0016] In an embodiment, a composite glass structure includes a glass matrix and a plurality of mineral inclusions (additives) incorporated into the glass matrix. In one or more embodiments, the plurality of mineral inclusions include one or several fiber additive types between 100 nanometers and 5 millimeters in length having a weight of at least 0.01 percent of the total weight of the composite glass structure characterized by improved fracture toughness (e.g., versus referenceAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 glass without additives) by at least 20%. The composite glass structure may include the additives having an average fiber diameter of between 5 nanometers and 20 micrometers. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment, the composite glass structure, and / or a corresponding glass object formed from the compositive glass structure, may include a first chemical formulation of a glass matrix that is different from a second chemical formulation of the plurality of mineral inclusions. In at least one embodiment, the composite glass structure may be used to form one or more target shapes including at least one of a bottle, a jar, a container, a block, a tile, a flat, or a tube. Objects formed from the composite class structure may be referred to as glass objects, and may be formed using a variety of methods, including at least one of a “Blow-and-Blow” or a “Press-and-Blow” method. Additionally, in embodiments, the melt may be removed from the mold and transferred to an annealing lehr where it is reheated and then gradually cooled to relieve internal stresses, which prevents the glass object from being brittle and ensures the desired strength and fracture toughness. Furthermore, in one or more embodiments, the composite glass structure and / or corresponding glass objects may be formed in a cold state (ambient / production floor temperature) from pulverized glass powder compositions, as discussed herein, using cold pressing to form an object and demolding with follow up sintering at temperatures less than approximately 1200 °C (e.g., approximately <700°C, between 700 °C and 1200 °C, etc.) and / or via hot pressing with a gradual increase of pressure and sintering temperature up to approximately 1300 °C (e.g., between approximately 700 °C and 1300 °C). Objects then be removed from the mold, sintered, and annealed to achieve the desired strength and fracture toughness. In one or more embodiments, when the compositive glass structure and / or the corresponding glass objects are formed from pulverized glass pastes based on a powder composition, ambient / production floor temperatures may be used along with plastic flow methods such as cold pressing, centrifugal methods, extrusion methods, and / or three-dimensional (3D) printing deposition methods to form and densify the glassAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 object with follow up demolding (if needed), drying, sintering at temperatures less than approximately 1200 °C (e.g., between approximately 700 °C and 1200 °C), and annealing to achieve the desired strength and fracture toughness. Systems and methods that use 3D printing may provide one or more benefits associated with energy savings because melting temperatures may be lower (e.g., between approximately 700 °C and 800 °C) with 3D printing, compared to, for example, other methods that may use temperatures between approximately 1400 °C and 1600 °C.

[0017] In one or more embodiments, the glass matrix corresponds to a soda-glass, and the plurality of mineral inclusions are basalt fibers. Furthermore, in embodiments, an ion-exchange process is employed by soaking produced glass objects in a molten potassium salt bath to replace smaller sodium ions (Na+) within the glass structure by larger potassium ions (K+) from the salt for further strengthening of composite glass.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] The present technology will be better understood on reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments thereof, and on examining the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic representation of metal oxides in a glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0020] FIG. 2A illustrates a graphical representation of stress intensity factors, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0021] FIG. 2B illustrates a graphical representation of fracture toughness and yield strength, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0022] FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic representation of fiber composites within a material, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0023] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic representation of a fiber formation process, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0024] FIGS 5A-5D illustrate schematic representations of processes for forming an object using a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0025] FIG. 6A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example object formed with a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0026] FIG. 6B illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example object formed with a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0027] FIG. 7A is a flow chart of a process for forming a composite glass object, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0028] FIG. 7B is a flow chart of a process for forming a composite glass object, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] FIG. 8A is a graphical representation of a structure of recycle glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0030] FIG. 8B is a schematic representation of a structure and preparation for A12O3 nanofiber suspension, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0031] FIG. 8C is a representation of crack arrest features for composite glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0032] FIG. 8D is a representation of crack arrest features for composite glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0033] FIG. 8E is a representation of crack arrest features for composite glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0034] FIG. 9A illustrates schematic representations of processes for forming an object using a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0035] FIG. 9B illustrates schematic representations of processes for forming an object using a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0036] FIG. 10A illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an example object formed with a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0037] FIG. 10B illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an example object formed with a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0038] FIG. 10C illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an example object formed with a composite glass composition, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 11A is a flow chart of a process for forming a composite glass object, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0040] FIG. 1 IB is a flow chart of a process for forming a composite glass object, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0041] FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate schematic representations of manufacturing processes that may be used to form a composite glass object, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0042] FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate representations of treated fibers, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0043] FIG. 14A illustrates an example representation of an interface between A-glass and C- glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0044] FIG. 14B illustrates an example representation of a magnified view of A-glass arranged over C-glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0045] FIG. 15 illustrates an example representation of glass composition samples, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0046] FIG. 16 illustrates an example process for auxetic glass production, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0047] FIG. 17A illustrates an example process for coating fibers with nanoparticles, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0048] FIGS. 17B and 17C illustrate an example representation of fibers coated with nanoparticles, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0049] FIG. 18 illustrates an example representation of fibers coated with nanoparticles, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The foregoing aspects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be further appreciated when considered with reference to the following description of embodiments and accompanying drawings. In describing the embodiments of the disclosure illustrated in the appended drawings, specific terminology will be used for the sake of clarity. However, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the specific terms used, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Additionally, like reference numerals may be used for like components, but such use should not be interpreted as limiting the disclosure.

[0051] When introducing elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, the articles "a", "an", "the", and "said" are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms "comprising", "including", and "having" are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. Any examples of operating parameters and / or environmental conditions are not exclusive of other param eters / conditions of the disclosed embodiments. Additionally, it should be understood that references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", “certain embodiments”, or “other embodiments” of the present disclosure are notAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Furthermore, reference to terms such as “above”, “below”, “upper”, “lower”, “side”, “front”, “back”, or other terms regarding orientation or direction are made with reference to the illustrated embodiments and are not intended to be limiting or exclude other orientations or directions. Like numbers may be used to refer to like elements throughout, but it should be appreciated that using like numbers is for convenience and clarity and not intended to limit embodiments of the present disclosure. Moreover, references to “substantially” or “approximately” or “about” may refer to differences within ranges of + / - 10 percent.

[0052] Systems and methods of the present disclosure are directed toward lightweight glass composite materials that include one or more reinforcing additives to increase the fracture toughness of a resulting object while also decreasing the overall weight of the resulting object. One or more reinforcing additives may be incorporated into one or more regions of the resulting object to form a composite glass structure. The one or more additives may be added into a melt or during a formation process, such as along a mold surface and incorporated while the remaining glass structure is still malleable. The resulting object may then be formed using a thinner wall, reducing the overall weight of the resulting glass object, providing a considerable savings to the manufacturer and end user

[0053] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards systems and methods for composite glass formation, which may include glass having fibers or other non-glass structures incorporated into a material composite. In at least one embodiment, one or more additives may be included within a mold associated with glass formation. The one or more additives may be positioned within the mold while the glass maintains a malleable form and prior to injection of the glass into the mold. The glass may then be injected into the mold and, due to the pressures of the mold and / or one or more machines used to inject the malleable form of the glass into the mold, theAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 one or more additives may be incorporated into the glass, for example along an outside surface of the glass after removal from the mold. Systems and methods may particularly position the one or more additives for inclusion at different locations of the glass, for inclusion at different concentrations at different locations, for inclusion in one or more particular orientations, and / or combinations thereof. Accordingly, embodiments may use the one or more additives to increase a strength (e.g., fracture toughness) of the glass. As a result, the glass walls may be thinner, thereby using less material, which may further reduce weight of the resultant glass and reduce costs due to the overall reduced quantity of material used in production.

[0054] Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be directed toward one or more embodiments to incorporate fibers into a glass structure in order to provide improved strength with reduced weight. One or more embodiments may be used to reduce a weight of glass structure formed using the composite glass when compared to one formed without use of the composite glass. In at least one embodiment, the substantially equivalent structure (e.g., substantially similar dimensions, substantially similar interior volume, etc.) formed with the composite glass may have a weight that is approximately 5 percent (%) to 90% less than the same structure formed using glass without the inclusion of the one or more additives (e.g., fibers). However, it should be appreciated that the decrease in weight for the composite glass may be any reasonable amount, such as approximately 10%, approximately 20%, approximately 30%, approximately 40%, approximately 50%, approximately 60%, approximately 70%, approximately 80%, or any other reasonable amount.

[0055] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed toward composite glass compositions that are used to form one or more glass structures. The composite glass compositions may refer to one or more glass compositions that include one or more additives, such as fibers, that may be used to increase a strength and / or toughness of the glass. It should be appreciated thatAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 strength is provided as one improvement and that various mechanical performance properties may be improved using embodiments of the present disclosure. In at least one embodiment, the fibers may include metals, metal alloys, glass, organic materials (e.g., rock material, cellulose, etc.), engineered materials, polymers, and / or combinations thereof. By way of non-limiting example, one or more fiber or additive materials may include steel alloys, shape memory alloy fibers, glass fibers, basalt fibers, mullite fibers, wollastonite and sepiolite fibers, zirconium dioxide (ZRO2) fibers, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibers, A12O3 fibers, bulk metallic glass (BMG), BMG- matrix composite fibers, carbon fibers, organic fibers, polymer fibers, and / or whiskers, among various combinations and alternatives. In at least one embodiment, the one or more additives may be arranged along at least a portion of an outer surface of the glass structure, along an inner surface of the glass structure, dispersed throughout at least a portion of the glass structure, and / or combinations thereof. Accordingly, systems and methods may be used to manufacture lighter weight glass structures by incorporating strengthening additives into different portions of the glass.

[0056] Systems and methods of the present disclosure may further include one or more additive configurations for use with various embodiments. By way of example, a two-dimensional (2D) fiber orientation may be selected for coating an outer surface of a glass structure, which may include using a plurality of differently sized fibers that are substantially orientated in at least two different directions. In this manner, strength-enhancing capabilities may be used when impacts are received from a number of different directions, thereby providing a glass structure that is suitable for storage of a variety of materials and shipment. The 2D fiber orientation may include different methods or orientations of additive application onto one or more mold portions for forming a glass structure. For example, a slurry or other carrier material, such as a glass powder slurry, as one nonlimiting example, may be formed to carry the fibers for application along the mold and the application may include applications at different angles or orientations in order to obtain theAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 desired 2D fiber orientation. The mixture may then be applied to the mold, as one example, and when the glass is injected for formation into the shape of the mold structure, the additive may be transferred into the glass to form the composite glass within the desired structural configuration. Embodiments may further be used to apply the mixture to the interior surface of the glass structure, for example using a spray or other application technique, and / or may be rolled on for application to flat panes, among various other options. Accordingly, one or more embodiments may incorporate the addition of the one or more additives as part of the production technique for the glass structure, which may simplify inclusion within the production process to provide a cost effective system for producing glass structures using the composite glass.

[0057] Various embodiments of the present disclosure address and improve upon lightweight design conditions for glass packaging. Since 2010, the glass packaging industry has implemented widespread "lightweighting" initiatives, resulting in an average weight reduction of approximately 40% in glass containers. The primary challenge in this process involves maintaining structural integrity and performance while significantly reducing mass. One approach includes three- dimensional (3D) printing of glass packaging. This technology enables the production of bottles in virtually any shape, offering clients the opportunity to create highly customized designs. Embodiments of the present disclosure further improve these processes by incorporating the additive materials into glass compositions including addition of reinforcement into critically stressed location, along with a structured manufacturing process, thereby reducing significant investment in re-tooling or re-configuration for various manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, various embodiments may further achieve improved weight reduction while still maintaining sufficient structural strength for glass packaging and various other applications involving glass, such as the production of glass panes and / or glass materials that may be used in electronics or the like.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0058] Embodiments of the present disclosure also provide for improved recycling of glass products, even with the addition of the additive materials. Despite glass being highly recyclable, only approximately one-third of waste glass is recycled in the United States. European countries demonstrate varying levels of recycling efficiency, spanning from Germany and Spain that exhibit high glass recycling rates, compared to Romania reporting one of the lowest recycling rates in Europe, with only 13% of glass being recycled. While significant advancements have been made in lightweight design and manufacturing techniques, addressing global disparities in recycling rates remains a critical challenge for the glass packaging industry. Theoretically, glass is a 100% recyclable material, and it can be indefinitely recycled without any loss of quality. According to US Environmental Protection Agency (EP A) statistics, the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream in 2021 contained about 4.2% of waste glass, corresponding to 12.3 million tons. In that year, approximately 31.3% of this volume of glass was recycled, while the remaining 68.7% was landfilled. Despite improvements, glass recycling rates in the USA remain relatively low compared to other materials and geographical locations. In contrast, some European countries achieve recycling rates for waste glass above 95%.

[0059] At the end of its service life, waste glass comes from different sources: glass containers (e.g., bottles and jars), construction glass (e.g., windows), and electrical equipment (e.g., lamps, old style monitors, and televisions). However, a majority (e.g., approximately 89%) of the waste glass comes from various containers. Generally, recovered glass containers are recycled into new containers, other portions are used in newly emerging sectors such as fiberglass insulation, abrasives, light-weight aggregates, yet some quantities are used for concrete and asphalt as a supplementary cementitious component or aggregate. Recycling of waste glass is attractive to glass manufacturers because it reduces the costs associated with raw materials and technological process; it lowers energy consumption and CO2, NOx, and SOx emissions; and also eliminates theAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 need to dump waste glass in landfills. However, to recycle waste glass effectively within the glass industry, it must contain glass of similar composition, which has been separated from contaminants which could reduce the quality of new glass products. Embodiments of the present disclosure satisfy this need through the use of a small portion of additive material (e g., a small percentage compared to the total volume of the glass structure, less than approximately 10 percent of the total volume of the glass structure, etc.) so that structures formed using the composite glass are still recyclable. Furthermore, at least one embodiment may include additives having a lower melting temperature than glass, and therefore, when the recycled glass is melted the additives may be burned or otherwise eliminated. Additionally, in at least one embodiment, the volumetric percentage of additives used is sufficiently small to not negatively affect downstream recycling operations.GLASS COMPOSITION

[0060] Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be directed toward composite glass materials that may be used to form one or more structures, which may include containers, panes, electronic components, and / or combinations thereof. Furthermore, the composite glass may be used as additives or in the manufacture of other materials, such as fiberglass insulation, abrasives, and / or the like. As used herein, glass may refer to a non-crystalline solid. There are different types of glass for various purposes. The majority of glass used for daily tasks, such as various containers, is soda-lime glass, primarily composed of silicon dioxide, calcium oxide (lime), and sodium oxide (soda). Silica may be considered the most important glass former and silicate glasses represent more than 95% of industrial glass production. Various common glass-forming oxides may include silicon dioxide (SiO2), Boron Trioxide (B2O3), Phosphorus Pentoxide (P2O5), and Germanium Dioxide (GeO2) (e.g., Germanium (IV) oxide). With reference to soda-lime glass, the three fundamental components may include:Attorney Docket No.: 082408.0000051. Silica (silicon dioxide) constituting approximately 70% of the final product and serving as the principal structural element.2. Sodium oxide (soda) constituting approximately 15% and reducing the melting temperature of the silica.3. Calcium oxide (lime) constituting approximately 9% and acting as a stabilizer and further enhancing the durability of the glass.

[0061] Furthermore, soda-lime glass may include approximately 6% of other various trace elements. Soda-lime glass is typically used for bottles, containers, windowpanes, and drinking glasses. However, it is not the only type of glass produced. Another type, borosilicate glass, is commonly used in scientific laboratories and cosmetics packaging. In addition to silicon dioxide, borosilicate glass contains boron trioxide. This composition grants it greater durability and increased chemical and heat resistance, making it suitable for laboratory use and cookware. Additionally, borosilicate glass is used in flashlight lenses, allowing a higher percentage of light transmission compared to plastic. Tables 1-4 below provide other compositions for various types of glass that may be used with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 1 - Composition and preparation for common types of glassTable 2 - Chemistry % by Weight of common types of glassAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 4 - Composition of common types of glass

[0062] Some applications have requirements for light transmission and the use transparent glass, however, many mass applications need tinted or colored glass which is prevalent in everyday life, with colors ranging from the green of wine and beer bottles to the red, yellow, and green of traffic lights. The origin of these colors is with the use of small quantities of doping elements responsible for the color.

[0063] Colored glass can be produced through several methods, with three primary techniques. The first method involves introducing transition metal or rare earth metal oxides into the glass. This is typically achieved by adding metal oxides during the glass-making process. The metal ions absorb specific wavelengths of light, depending on the metal, resulting in the glass exhibiting a particular color. Another method for introducing color into glass involves the formation of colloidal particles, which are particles of a substance suspended throughout the glass. These particles are often formed due to heat treatment, creating what is known as "striking colors." Colloidal particles scatter light of specific frequencies as it passes through the glass, resulting in coloration. Examples of colloidal particle colorants include gold, which imparts a ruby red color, and selenium, which offers shades ranging from pink to intense red. The final primary method for introducing color involves the addition of already colored particles to the glass. Examples of this type of coloration include milky glass and smoked glass. Milky glass, for instance, is achieved by adding tin oxide.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0064] Colored glass is widely used for decorative purposes, such as in stained glass windows, which utilize the coloring effect of metal ions. However, the coloration of glass can serve functional purposes as well. For example, beer bottles are colored green or brown to filter out specific wavelengths of UV light that can contribute to beer spoilage and a "skunky" flavor. Similarly, colored glass is used in some chemical bottles to protect the contents from UV light. Possible chemical elements that may be used to color glass include iron, iron-sulfur, copper, chromium, nickel, gold, copper-tin, manganese, cobalt, uranium, neodymium, erbium, seleniumcadmium, and cadmium, among other options.

[0065] A similar approach to modify the composition and microstructure is used to enhance the performance of glass. For example, FIG. l is a schematic diagram illustrating a representation 100 for incorporation of metal oxides into glass to function as network modifiers. As shown, the additional of additives can be used to modify or otherwise affect different long range structure 102, intermediate range structure 104, and short range structure 106. In this example, soda (Na2O) is added to silica glass, and each Na+ion bonds to an oxygen ion within a tetrahedron, thereby reducing the degree of cross-linking, as shown in representation 110. This addition replaces some of the covalent bonds between tetrahedra with lower-energy, non-directional ionic bonds. Consequently, the viscosity of the melt decreases, enabling soda glass to be easily worked at approximately 700°C, in contrast to pure silica, which softens at around 1200°C. However, sodalime glasses exhibit sensitivity to temperature fluctuations. Due to their high coefficient of thermal expansion (~8x10 K '), they are prone to developing significant thermal stresses, which can result in cracking. Embodiments of the present disclosure recognize this deficiency and provide systems and methods to address and overcome the cracking often seen in soda-lime glasses, among other glass types.GLASS STRUCTUREAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0066] Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be directed toward composite glass materials that may be used to form one or more structures (e.g., glass structures, glass matrices, etc.). The structure of glass is characterized by variability as extensive ranges of compositions can be made into glass; a lack of uniqueness, repeatability, of glass structure creates an even higher level of complexity; and a dramatic range of bonding, covalent to metallic to ionic, creates dramatic range of structural complexity. Further complicating the determination of glass structure is that the structure is that of a non-equilibrium material and as such, the structure depends strongly on processing, most often the cooling rate.

[0067] In the manufacturing and engineering of glass materials, properties change and become non-uniform. Furthermore, optical properties, such as transparency, are dramatically degraded, and moreover, electrical properties can change from insulating to conducting. Additionally, appearance can change from clear and colorless to dark and absorbing. Processing can become difficult due to second high temperature liquid phases being created. In essence, the general overall behavior of glass changes during, for example, phase separation. Glass ceramics are produced by second phase crystallizing on cooling - toughened, high temperature ceramics can be produced. Low temperature glass-forming liquid can be melted, which then is shaped to desired final forms and soaked at elevated temperatures to enhance phase separation, and spinodal decomposition leads to connectivity of separated regions. In operation, one phase is a high temperature, high viscosity phase and one phase is a low temperature, low viscosity phase. Then, the low temperature phase is chemically etched and removed leaving behind high temperature glass, where the final glass is consolidated to near theoretical density. In operation, thermal and processing treatments are shown in Table 5.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 5 - Treatment and associated maximum strengthening factorGLASS PERFORMANCE

[0068] "Strength" typically refers to a material's tensile or bending strength. This property is inherently dependent on the material's weakest point, which is most often its surface. The surface is more susceptible to chemical or mechanical attack, leading to the formation of flaws, commonly in the form of cracks. For instance, a glass surface that has been meticulously fire-polished or etched with hydrofluoric acid should theoretically be free of cracks and exhibit a tensile fracture strength approaching the theoretical maximum, approximately one-tenth of the material's Young's modulus.

[0069] Fracture toughness is a critical property of a material that quantifies a material's resistance to crack propagation under stress. For glass, a quintessential^ brittle material, fracture toughness is particularly crucial as it governs the material's resistance to crack growth and, consequently, its susceptibility to sudden, catastrophic failure. The low fracture toughness of glass, compared to ductile materials like metals, stems from its atomic structure. Glass lacks the ability to undergo significant plastic deformation, which in ductile materials serves to blunt crack tips and dissipate energy during crack propagation. Consequently, once initiated, cracks in glass tend to grow rapidly with minimal energy absorption, leading to abrupt failure with little warning. Quantitatively, the fracture toughness of glass is typically expressed using the critical stress intensity factor (Kic), which represents the threshold at which unstable crack propagation begins. For most glasses, Kic values fall within the range of 0.7 to 1.0 MPa m, significantly lower than those of structural metals or advanced ceramics, as shown in prior art FIGS. 2A and 2B. This low fracture toughness rendersAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 glass highly sensitive to surface flaws and imperfections, which act as stress concentrators and can drastically reduce the material's overall strength.ENGINEERED AND COMPOSITE GLASS MATERIALS

[0070] The practical implications of glass's low fracture toughness are manifold. Several methods have been developed to enhance the performance of glass, including, as examples, tempering, lamination, coating, and chemical strengthening. Tempering introduces compressive stresses in the surface layers, increasing the energy required for crack initiation. Lamination incorporates interlayers that can absorb energy and contain fragments upon failure. Coatings are used to apply protective layers that can prevent surface flaw formation or crack initiation. Chemical strengthening may refer to ion exchange processes that create compressive surface stresses.

[0071] The design of modern high-performance engineering materials is driven by the optimization of mechanical properties such as strength, ductility, toughness, elasticity, and the requirement for predictable and non-catastrophic failure. For example, bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have attracted significant interest due to their high strength and substantial fracture toughness. Considerable improvements of materials performance were achieved for BMG, illustrated as an example metallic-glass composite in FIG. 2B. However, many BMGs such as Vitreloy™ lack ductility and fail in a seemingly brittle manner under unconstrained loading conditions. While some BMGs exhibit significant plastic deformation in compression or bending tests, they demonstrate negligible plasticity (<0.5% strain) in uniaxial tension.

[0072] To mitigate brittle failure in tension, BMG-matrix composites have been developed. The inhomogeneous microstructure with isolated dendrites within a BMG matrix stabilizes the glass against catastrophic failure associated with the unlimited extension of a shear band, resulting in enhanced plasticity and predictable failure. These composites have demonstrated tensile strengthsAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 of approximately 1 GPa, tensile ductility of 2-3%, and an enhanced mode I fracture toughness (Kic) of around 40 MPa^ / m.

[0073] Next generation titanium-zirconium-based BMG-matrix composites were developed by matching fundamental mechanical and microstructural length scales. These BMG composites were characterized by a room-temperature tensile ductility exceeding 10%, yield strengths of 1.2-1.5 GPa, Kic up to approximately 170 MPa^m, and fracture energies for crack propagation as high as Gic ~ 340 kJ / m2These Kic and Gic values equal or surpass those achievable in the toughest titanium or steel alloys, placing BMG composites among the toughest known materials.

[0074] Engineering materials are rarely composed of a single phase of atoms or molecules arranged in a uniform structure. In practice, engineering materials consist of a composite structure, which may refer to a heterogeneous mixture of two or more homogeneous phases bonded together, such as the described BMG-matrix composites. Fiber addition is another common method to enhance the performance of brittle materials, such as concrete and polymer composites. Fibers may be positioned within a material in a variety of different ways, such as continuous fibers or discontinuous fibers. Furthermore, fibers may be randomly dispersed in the matrix, arranged with a given orientation, and / or may include different orientations. By way of example, FIG. 3 illustrates continuous fiber composite plies 300 along with discontinuous fiber composites 302, 304. As shown, continuous fibers may extend for a certain length along a given plane or extension, while discontinuous fibers may have multiple segments along the same plane or extension. It should be appreciated that continuous fibers may have variable lengths, and moreover, that discontinuous fibers may also have variable lengths. Fibers may also be included in a variety of different sizes and may be dispersed throughout a material. As one example, very small particles (e.g., approximately 10 nm to 100 micrometers) may be used. However, in other examples, larger particles (e.g., approximately 100 micrometers to 50 mm) may be used. In this manner, compositeAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 materials may be formed with a variety of different configurations based on desired properties of the resultant composite material. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may drive a phase transformation that stresses and strengthens a resultant composite object. For example, a quality of the fibers used may be a function of the inclusion of different stresses to drive the phase transformation. Additionally, quantity may also be a factor, with a small percentage (e.g., approximately 1%) potentially being insufficient, while a larger percentage (e.g., approximately 25%) having an increased likelihood of causing the phase transformation. Phase transformation may trigger improvement with stresses and strengthening of the object.

[0075] Systems and methods may also include engineered composite glass materials, which may include the use of basalt-fibers, as one non-limiting example. Continuous glass / basalt fibers, also known as reinforcement or textile fibers, are constant-diameter, continuous threads or filaments drawn from the molten state, typically wound onto a rotating drum. These fibers are usually processed into multifilament strands, mats, or woven cloths for use in composite materials, fnsulation wool fibers are discontinuous filaments of random length and various diameters. They are produced by attenuating molten glass streams with high-velocity gas, where the interaction between the gas and the glass stream primarily facilitates attenuation. The resulting pack of random, wool-like fibers undergoes further processing and is extensively used for various forms of heat and sound insulation. Basalt fiber is an inorganic material produced by melting quarried basalt rock at approximately 1400°C. The molten rock is then extruded through small nozzles to form continuous filaments of basalt fibers, typically ranging in diameter from 9 to 13 pm. Basalt fibers possess numerous advantageous characteristics, including energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, high tensile strength and modulus, a wide operational temperature range (from -269°C to 700°C), and resistance to acids, salts, and alkalis. Additionally, they exhibit anti -ultraviolet properties, low moisture absorption, good insulation, anti -radiati on capabilities, and sound waveAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 transparency. Basalt fibers, produced by melting basalt rocks and extracting the fibers, offer a tensile strength that is 24% higher than that of glass fibers. Additionally, basalt fibers exhibit superior corrosion resistance compared to carbon fibers and do not emit toxic gases during high- temperature fires. One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may use basalt fibers as an additive for composite glass structures.

[0076] However, basalt fiber manufacturers face challenges in controlling the purity and consistency of raw basalt stone. While both basalt and glass are silicates, they differ significantly in their structural formation. Molten glass cools to form a non-crystalline solid, whereas basalt, with its crystalline structure, varies based on the specific conditions during lava flow at different geographical locations. Basalt is composed of three primary silicate minerals: plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine. Plagioclase refers to various triclinic feldspars consisting of sodium and calcium silicates. Pyroxenes are crystalline silicates containing two of three metallic oxides: magnesium, iron, or calcium. Olivine is a silicate mineral combining magnesium and iron, denoted as (Mg, Fe)2SiO4. Due to this compositional variety, the mineral levels and chemical makeup of basalt formations can significantly differ from one location to another, presenting a challenge for standardization in basalt fiber production.

[0077] In certain embodiments, the chemical composition of basalt fibers is similar to that of commonly used E-glass and S-glass fibers, as shown in Table 6. However, basalt contains a higher ratio of iron, which imparts its characteristic brown color. These properties make basalt fibers a versatile and valuable material in various applications. The introduction of basalt fibers into concrete has been reported to increase flexural strength by up to 27%. Similarly, the addition of 2 vol% steel fiber has resulted in an approximate 12% increase in the compressive strength of concrete composites.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 6 - Chemical Compositions of Basalt fibers, E-glass fibers, and S-glass fibers

[0078] E-glasses and similar compositions containing minimal, or no boron or fluorine, are commonly produced for reinforcement applications due to their excellent combination of physical, electrical, and chemical properties. Glass fibers derived from these glasses are frequently utilized in fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP), which are employed in electrical applications, automobiles, trucks, boats, pipes, and storage tanks. S-glass is one of the most technically significant glasses, characterized by its highest strength, stiffness, and softening point among commercial reinforcement glass fibers. It is used in highly demanding products such as FRP lightweight armor.

[0079] Other types of specialized glasses may include A-, C-, and AR-glass, as non-limiting examples. A-glass is a soda-lime-silica glass similar to common bottle glass and is occasionally used in fiber applications where mechanical performance and water durability are less critical. C- glass is designed for high acid resistance and is used in products such as battery plate separators. AR-glass, with high alkali resistance, was developed for reinforcing portland cement-based materials.MANUFACTURING

[0080] FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic representation 400 that may be used to manufacture glass fibers. In this example, a furnace 402 may receive a mixture of sand, aluminum, and borax (sodiumAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 borate). In at least one embodiment, the mixture is heated to approximately 1250°C, which may form a molten glass. The molten glass flows through a perforated platinum plate 404, which may be referred to as a spinneret, from which it is drawn to the desired diameter. The fibers, in the form of a filament thread 406, are then cooled using water sprays, air, or other techniques, and directed to a treadmill or cylinder, where they are coated with a protective layer to facilitate subsequent handling. Finally, individual filaments may be sized 408 and grouped into strands 410, typically consisting of more than 200 filaments, which are then wound 412 and ready for fiber production by cutting the strand to a specific length. Filament winding is a composite materials production process that is using a continuous fiber strand and is suited for axisymmetric components such as pipes and most fittings. Multi-axis machines are also available for components that are more complex.

[0081] However, the use of glass fibers in glass matrix composites can present challenges, such as potentially reducing mechanical strength due to defect incorporation due to the use of materials with similar melting temperatures, which can diminish the reinforcement effect of the fibers. Furthermore the use of refractory fibers, such as mullite, sepiolite, A12O3, ZrOz, and YSZ have high material costs, making their industrial application challenging.

[0082] As discussed herein, basalt fibers present one embodiment for providing the composite glass due to its performance advantages. Because of the challenges associated with properly applying the fibers, maintaining a desired fiber orientation, and the nature of glass container manufacture, the use of basalt fibers has been limited to low-strength foam glass applications. Systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used to incorporate inorganic and / or organic whiskers and / or fibers to reinforce glasses, glass ceramics, and ceramics to improve the mechanical response of brittle materials. Whiskers are typically characterized as relatively short, single-crystal fibers of small diameter, typically less than 100 microns. Fibers on the other hand can be multi-Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 crystalline or amorphous and are long enough to be used in woven or other types of interlocking networks, filter tows or fabric. Whiskers are typically incorporated in a selected glass or ceramic matrix as a randomly dispersed phase. In contrast, fibers may be applied in a particular orientation.NANOPARTICLES AND NANOSTRUCTURES

[0083] Nanoparticles such as nano-silica (SiO2), nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2), and nano-zinc oxide (ZnO), are commonly used for modification of conventional materials with the goal to enhance the performance (rheology, strength, modulus of elasticity) or impart a range of new properties. Nanomaterials (NMs) encompass a diverse range of structures, including nanoparticles, nano ribbons, nano films, nano fibers, nano liquids, nano spheres, nanotubes, nanorods, quantum dots, nanowires, and hollow spheres. Among these, nanoparticles have garnered significant attention, particularly iron and silver nanoparticles. The classification of nanomaterials (NMs) is primarily based on their composition and dimensions. Zero-dimensional (0D) nanomaterials comprise structures such as fullerenes and quantum dots. One-dimensional (ID) nanomaterials include nanowires, nano ribbons, nanotubes, and carbon nanofibers. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials encompass graphene sheets, nano sheets, nano films, and nano surfaces.

[0084] Further classification of nanomaterials divides them into single-phase solids (amorphous particles, crystals, and layers), multi-phase solids (matrix composites and coated particles), and multi-phase systems (colloids, aerogels, and magnetic fluids). Nanomaterials can be grouped into various categories, including zeolite- and silica-based NMs, metal -based NMs, carbon-based NMs, metal oxide-based NMs, polymer-based NMs, lipid-based NMs, and ceramic-based NMs.

[0085] Metal oxide nanoparticles (MOx) are represented by various types of metallic elements which tend to oxidize and form various structural components. The nanostructured metal oxide size and shape mainly affect the properties of surface-dependent nanomaterials used in optics, mechanics, and electronics. Small dosages of metal oxides such as ZnO, CeO2, Co3O4, In2O3,Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005SnO2, TiO2, Mn3O4, NiO can be used to modify the performance of ceramics, glass, polymer composites. Table 7 illustrates crystal structures for selected nanomaterials.Table 7 - Crystal structure for selected nanomaterials

[0086] The use of ID MOXnanomaterials such as nano-alumina (nano-A12O3 fibers) had little attention as most of research and development effort was with zero-dimensional nanoparticles. Limited application of nano-fibers of A12O3 have been reported to improve the ductility of ceramics, super-fine abrasives, engineered plastics, fiber reinforced composites, and polymer- based epoxies and coatings. Despite little use of the nano-A12O3, there can be a great potential for application of this NM in glass, as discussed herein.

[0087] The preparation methods for A12O3 nanofibers (NFs) include template impregnation, centrifugal spinning, and electrospinning. Template impregnation involves the use of organic materials, such as natural or chemical fibers, as the template, followed by impregnation with an inorganic aluminum salt solution and subsequent calcination to produce A12O3 NFs. However, this method is complex. Centrifugal spinning entails subjecting aluminum sol to the centrifugal force of the machine spinneret to prepare A12O3 NFs, but this method requires strict control of parameters and does not guarantee fiber uniformity. Electrospinning combined with subsequent calcination is a superior method, producing A12O3 NFs with controllable dimensions, structures,Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 and compositions. Electrospinning is a versatile top-down technique that employs high electrostatic forces to fabricate NF membranes. A traditional electrospinning system comprises three main components: a high-voltage supply, a nozzle, and a grounded collector. During electrospinning, the spinning solution is extruded from the nozzle, forming a tiny conical droplet (Taylor cone). When the electric field strength overcomes the surface tension of the droplet, a charged jet erupts from the Taylor cone and undergoes drastic whipping and splitting motions. After solvent evaporation, fibers with diameters ranging from several micrometers to tens of nanometers are deposited on the grounded collector. Moreover, electrospinning can produce a wide variety of NF assemblies, including self-supporting membranes or mats and porous bulk materials with adjustable directionality and multiple components. This versatility provides the electrospun A12O3 NFs with intricate structures and novel properties suitable for multifunctional applications. Use of other nano fiber materials: Si3N4, ZnO, TiO2, ZrO2, and YSZ, in ceramics and glass is also an attractive strategy and may be incorporated into embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0088] Various embodiments of the present disclosure may further be discussed in view of the following clauses:1. A composite glass composition and method for production of glass bottles, containers, or flat window panels comprising: an oxide glass matrix having a particulate interior phase, the particulate interior being comprised of a plurality of mineral inclusions of less than 300 micrometers, with each core particle being covered by a glass matrix shell incorporated into the matrix, wherein in order to maintain a fluidity and formability, a relatively high glass matrix to particulate inclusion weight ratio of approximately 90 to 99 percent is used; wherein, in order to maintain a stability of interior phase suspension within the melt, the plurality of particulate interior material is supported by the plurality of additives, including at least one of nano-sized particles, one-dimensional (ID) nano structures, or two-dimensional (2D) nano structures, having at least one associated dimension of less than 300 nanometers, wherein the particulate inclusions are further incorporated into glass melt by mixing or formed in-situ by phase separation so that the additives make up at least 0.01 percent by weight of the total weight of the composite glass blend;Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 wherein, in order to improve the mechanical performance, reinforcing micro-fibers are incorporated in the composite glass composition, and wherein, said fibers have an average fiber diameter size of between 0.1 and 10 micrometers making up at least 1 volume percent of the glass composition; wherein, the resulting composite glass is formed into one or more target shapes including at least one of a bottle, ajar, a container, a block, a tile, a flat, or a tube and thermally treated using glass product casting equipment and technology.2. The composite glass composition and glass products according to clause 1, wherein the glass component is composed of at least one of silicon dioxide, calcium oxide (lime), and sodium oxide (soda), soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, aluminosilicate glass, lead glass, borate glasses, phosphate glasses, germinate glasses, vanadate glasses, tellurite glasses, antimonate glasses, bismuthate glasses, fused silica, or basalt matrix.3. The composite glass composition of clause 2, wherein the particulate interior is further selected from the group comprising silicone carbide (SiC), carborundum, and moissanite.4. The composite glass composition of clause 2, wherein the at least one of the nanosized particles, the ID nano structures, or the 2D nano structures are selected from the group comprising nano silver, silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (A12O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon structures including CNT, CNF, graphene, graphene oxide, nanodiamonds and fullerenes, zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), zirconium carbonitride, iron dioxide (Fe2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium oxide (CeO2), clay nanoparticles, or combinations thereof.5. The composite glass composition of any of clauses 1-4, wherein nano particles are contained in the glass composition, and the contained nano particles make up at least 0.001 weight percent of the glass composition.6. The composite glass composition of clause 3, wherein the plurality of particulate interior material and nano-sized particles contained within the glass matrix is randomly located therein.7. The composite glass composition of clause 3, wherein the plurality of fiber reinforcing material incorporated within the glass matrix is randomly distributed within the entire body of the material.8. The composite glass composition of clause 3, wherein the plurality of fiber reinforcing material incorporated within the glass matrix is aligned in a preferred direction within the entire body of the material.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.0000059. The composite glass composition of clause 3, wherein the plurality of fiber reinforcing material incorporated within the glass matrix is randomly distributed within the desired layer or stress concentration zone of the cast object.10. The composite glass composition of clause 3, wherein the plurality of fiber reinforcing material incorporated within the glass matrix is aligned in a preferred direction within the desired layer or stress concentration zone of a cast object such as a bottle or a container.11. A method of fiber incorporation into composite glass, comprising: spreading a fiber layer on the surface of a mold; and casting a viscous glass body against the mold to incorporate the fibers into a strengthened layer of a cast.12. A method of fiber incorporation into composite glass, comprising: spraying a fiber layer on the surface of a mold; and casting a viscous glass body against the mold to incorporate the fibers into a strengthened layer of a cast.13. A method of fiber incorporation into composite glass, comprising: casting viscous glass body against the mold; and spraying a fiber layer on a surface of the viscous cast.13. A method of fiber incorporation into composite glass, comprising: spraying a fiber layer onto a surface of a melt; placing the melt into a mold; and casting viscous glass body against the mold.14. A method of fiber incorporation into composite glass, comprising: adding one or more fibers into a glass matrix for a melt; placing the melt into a mold; and casting viscous glass body against the mold.15. The method of any of clauses 11-14, wherein the fiber reinforcing material is applied in the form of continuous filament winding on the axisymmetric glass components such as pipes and bottles.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.00000516. The method of any of clauses 11-14, wherein the fibers are at least one of a nonwoven preform or a woven preform.17. The method or composite glass composition of any of clauses 1-16, wherein a fiber reinforcing material is of the length of 1-15 mm, has an aspect ratio of <10-100>, and is selected from a group comprising: steel alloy fibers, shape memory alloy fibers, a bulk metallic glass (BMG), a BMG-matrix composite fibers, a glass fibers, an E-glass, an S-glass, an A-glass, a C- glass, an AR-glass, basalt fibers, mullite fibers, wollastonite fibers, sepiolite fibers, zirconium dioxide (ZRO2) fibers, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibers, carbon fibers, or combinations thereof.18. The method or composite glass composition of any of clauses 1-17, wherein a fiber reinforcing material includes at least one of a nanoparticle or a nanomaterial decorated fiber.19. The method of any of clauses 11-14 or 18, further comprising: forming ductile inclusions within a matrix of the composite glass due to seeding or phase separation effect, and wherein a formation of a plurality of particulate interior material including dendrites is achieved by in-situ nucleation and growth and phase separation.20. The method of any of clauses 11-14, 18, or 19, further comprising: adding a viscosity modifying agent to at least one of the melt or the mold.21. The method of any of clauses 11-14 or 18-20, further comprising: adding a network modifying agent to at least one of the melt or the mold.22. The method of any of clauses 11-14 or 18-21, further comprising: adding a fluxing agent to at least one of the melt or the mold.23. The method of clause 22, wherein the fluxing agent includes at least one of lithium, sodium, or potassium di- and trimolybdates nanoparticles / rods.24. The method of any of clauses 11-14 or 18-23, further comprising: adding a coloring or photochrome agent to the melt.25. The method of any of clauses 11-14 or 18-24, further comprising:Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 forming an interior phase in-situ by phase separation method to produce particulate, fiber, or dendrite inclusions within a glass matrix.26. The method of any of clauses 11-14 or 18-25, further comprising: forming a glass matrix having a particulate interior phase wherein one phase is a high temperature, high viscosity phase, and one phase is low temperature, low viscosity phase.27. The composite glass composition of clause 3, wherein the particulate interior material is activated by a high-energy mixing or milling for at least of 1 minute, said activation providing the disintegration of the particulate interior material causing the formation of additional pluralities of particulate material to interact, densify and compact the glass matrix to reduce the permeability and increase the matrix strength.28. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein upon activation the plurality of particulate interior material has an average size that is between 0.1 and 50 micrometers.29. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein upon activation the plurality of particulate interior material has an average size that is between 0.05 and 25 micrometers.30. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein upon activation the plurality of particulate interior material has an average size that is between 0.01 and 10 micrometers.31. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein upon activation the plurality of particulate interior material has an average size that is between 0.005 and 5 micrometers.32. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein upon activation the plurality of particulate interior material has an average size that is between 0.001 and 1 micrometers.33. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein the average spacing between particulate interior formations is between 0.10 and 1 micrometers.34. The composite glass composition of any of the previous clauses, wherein the average spacing between particulate interior formations is between 1 and 10 micrometers.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.00000535. The composite glass of any of the previous clauses, characterized by a roomtemperature tensile ductility exceeding 0.045%, tensile yield strength of 10 MPa, compressive strength of 500 MPa, and Kic of up to 1.3 MPa m te where enhanced mechanical performance, such as impact strength, translates to the decreasing of the weight of the glass objects therefore approaching the weight of the plastic items.36. The composite glass of any of the previous clauses, wherein a resultant glass object has a lighter weight for an equivalent volume than a second glass objected formed without the fibers.37. The composite glass of any of the previous clauses, wherein a resultant glass object includes one or more point defects by incorporation of engineered void such as the using of 3D printing or cenospheres / hollow core ceramic / glass proppant.38. A surface preparation method, wherein after a glass composition material is applied to a mold surface, the glass composition forms a top surface, wherein a plurality of droplets / capsules and a plurality reinforcing nano-particles or fibers, including nano-fibers, interact with each other causing the top surface to become non-smooth and creating a hierarchical topology with a roughness level exceeding at least one adjacent surface area, wherein the glass composition top surface achieving a contact angle of at least 100 degrees when water is applied to the glass composition top surface.39. A surface preparation method, wherein after a glass composition material is applied to a mold surface, the glass composition forms an inner surface, wherein a plurality of droplets / capsules and a plurality reinforcing nano-particles or fibers, including nano-fibers, interact with each other causing the inner surface to become non-smooth and creating a hierarchical topology with a roughness level exceeding at least one adjacent surface area, wherein the glass composition inner surface achieving a contact angle of at least 100 degrees when water is applied to the glass composition top surface.40. The surface preparation method of either of clauses 38 or 39, wherein the hierarchical topology has a roughness, cavity, and rib structure that can assist with enhanced impact energy absorption due to auxetic response achieved due to a formation of a specific void structure with micro / macro-defects using 3D printing and recycling by predetermined crushing.41. The surface preparation method of any of clauses 38-40, further comprising chemically etching and leaving behind a second hierarchical topology with a second roughnessAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 level of less than the roughness level, which can result in a second water contact angle less than the water contract angle and an oil contact angle of less than 100 degrees.42. The surface preparation method, the composite glass composition, or the method for production of glass bottles of any of the previous clauses, wherein: a double or triple layer laminate structure is used to strengthen the core in the case of bottle / container structure; a hot glass cast is shaped, rolled, or formed to achieve the object with desired profile or shape, for example press and blow process or blow and blow process; a thermal process, after the initial cast, includes re-heating, tempering, annealing, controlled cooling, vacuum cooling, laser treatment / remelting of the surface; fiber and nanomaterial reinforcement are specifically allocated into critical zones with maximal stress and reduction of the cross-sectional area in the zones with lower stress; a proposed glass formulation is combined with other known types of the glass to form a variety of glass objects with a relative volume of composite glass of at least 1 percent by volume; at least one of a three-dimensional printing process or pressing (e.g. hot pressing) process is used, followed by one or more thermal treatments; additional surface coating is added to control the light or electromagnetic wave reflection, electrical or thermal conductivity, other properties as required by the end application; a range of glass objects are produced from composite glass using described methods, intended for application for food / drink storage as the inert nature of glass and basalt making the bottle / container safe for such applications; or a range of glass objects produced from composite glass using described method, glass bottles, jars, containers, flat window panels, car parts, lenses, solar panels, screens, displays, to substitute the plastic or conventional glass in such applications.43. A method, comprising : forming a flowable glass melt; applying, to at least a portion of an interior surface of a mold, one or more fiber additives; directing the flowable glass melt into the mold to position at least a portion of the flowable glass melt along at least the portion of the interior surface; and forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a chemical structure including at least the first chemical structure of the flowable glass melt and a second chemical structure of the one or more additives; and. controlled cooling and / or post cooling thermal / chemical treatment of a composite glass object to form the desired microstructure and improved mechanical performance.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.00000544. The method of clause 43, wherein the glass composition ( first chemical structure) of first layer / phase is different from the second chemical structure of second portion / phase and said compounds are pre blended in the solid state (ambient / production floor temperature) before melting to a liquid state at a temperature of 1300 - 1650 C to form a composite glass structure upon cooling. .45. A method of clause 43 to form a uniform single phase / uniform composition object, comprising : forming a flowable glass melt with one or more fiber additives; directing the composite additive-modified flowable glass melt into the mold to position the flowable glass melt along the interior surface; forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a structure including at least one or more fiber additives which can remain as separate phase with clearly defined interface between the glass matrix and the fibers; or upon cooling, forming chemically distinct inclusions within the structure of the glass matrix; and controlled cooling and / or post cooling thermal / chemical treatment of a composite glass object to form the desired microstructure and improved mechanical performance.46. The method of any of clauses 43-45, wherein the one or more additives include at least one of steel alloy fibers, shape memory alloy fibers, a bulk metallic glass (BMG), a BMG- matrix composite fibers, a glass fibers, an E-glass, an S-glass, an A-glass, a C-glass, an AR-glass, basalt fibers, mullite fibers, wollastonite fibers, sepiolite fibers, zirconium dioxide (ZrCh) fibers, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibers, carbon fibers, bamboo fibers, organic fibers, or combinations thereof.47. The method of any of clauses 43-46, wherein the inclusion of the one or more fiber additives are configured to remain as a separate phase with a clearly defined interface between the glass matrix and the fibers, or the one or more fiber additives are configured to completely or at least partially melt, but upon cooling, form chemically distinct inclusions / phases within the structure of the glass matrix.48. The method of any of clauses 43-47, wherein due to improved mechanical performance such as fracture toughness, the composite glass object has a lower weight than an equivalent glass object formed without the one or additives.49. The method of any of clauses 43-48, wherein the one or more fiber additives include nanoparticles with at least one dimension of < 100 nm), wherein the one or more fiber additives comprise at least one of a 0D, a ID, or a 2D nano structure selected from the group comprising at least one of nano silver, silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (A12O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2),Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 carbon structures including CNT, CNF, graphene, graphene oxide, fullerenes, astralens, nanodiamonds, zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), YSZ, zirconium carbonitride, Si3N4, SiC, ZrB2, HfB2, ZrC, TaC, NbC, HfN, iron dioxide (Fe2O3), zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium oxide (CeO2), clay nanoparticles, or combinations thereof.50. The method of any of clauses 43-49, wherein the one or more fiber additives, which may include one or more of micron- or nano- sized fibers, are preblended / deposited on glass powders of similar or different composition versus the glass melt to create a uniform dispersion within the glass melt and formation of a fiber-reinforced glass matrix, and wherein pre-blending is performed via one or more of high intensity mixers, des-integrators, or milling including one or more of ball milling, vibrational milling, planetary milling, or attrition milling.51. The method of any of clauses 43-50, wherein the one or more fiber additives, which may include one or more of nano- or micro- additives, are, prior to deposition on glass powders, further dispersed with one or more surfactants to form water based slurry / suspension using ultrasonication.52. The method of any of clauses 43-41, wherein the one or more fiber additives, which may include one or more of micron- or nano- sized fibers, are, before incorporation into the melt, pre coated by nano-sized particles to create a refractory shield resistant to highly alkaline glass melts of up to 1650 C, wherein the micro- or nano-sized fibers and fiber coating are selected from a group comprising at least one of borides, nitrides, and carbides of Group III-V metals of periodic table, such as Zirconium / YSZ Phosphates (Zirconium / YSZ Hydrogen Phosphates), ZrB2, HfB2, LaB6, YB6, ZrC, TaC, NbC, HfN, further doped with rare-earth additives such as La2O3 and Gd2O3, and wherein the micro- or nano-sized fibers and fiber coating are additionally, or alternatively, selected from a group comprising at least one of ZrB2-HfB2, ZrB2-ZrC (20% by volume of SiC, called ZS20), ZS20-LaB6, (5% by weight of LaB6), ZrB2-SiC (5% by volume of SiC), HfB2-SiC (20% by volume of SiC)- LaB6 (5% by weight of LaB6), and wherein the coating forms a refractory interface between the fiber and matrix less than 10% by weight of the coated fiber / inclusion.53. A composite glass structure, comprising: a glass matrix; and a plurality of mineral inclusions (additives) incorporated into the glass matrix, wherein the plurality of mineral inclusions include one or several fiber additive types of less than between 100 nanometers and 5 millimeters in length having a weight of at least 0.01 percent of a total weight of the composite glass structure, wherein the composite class structure has an improved fracture toughness, compared to a reference glass without additives, by at least 20%.54. The composite glass structure of clause 53, wherein the additives have an average fiber diameter of between 0.15 nanometers and 210 micrometers.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.00000555. The composite glass structure and corresponding glass object of any of clauses 53 or 54, wherein a first chemical formulation of the glass matrix is different from a second chemical formulation of the plurality of mineral inclusions.56. The composite glass structure of any of clauses 53-55, wherein the composite glass structure is used to form one or more target shapes including at least one of a bottle, a jar, a container, a block, a tile, a flat, or a tube.57. The composite glass structure and corresponding glass object of any of clauses 53-56, wherein formation includes using a “Blow-and-Blow” or a “Press-and-Blow” method, and further includes removing from the mold and transferring to an annealing lehr, and also includes reheating and then gradually cooling to relieve internal stresses, to prevent the glass object from being brittle and ensuring the desired strength and fracture toughness.58. The composite glass structure and corresponding glass objects of any of clauses 53-57, where formation is performed in a cold state, corresponding to an ambient or production floor temperature, from pulverized glass powder compositions using cold pressing to form the corresponding glass objects and demolding with follow up sintering at temperatures less than 1200 C , hot pressing with gradual increases of pressure and sintering temperature up to 1300 C, and removing from the mold, sintering, and annealing to achieve the desired strength and fracture toughness.59. The composite glass structure and corresponding glass objects of any of clauses 53- 57, wherein formation is performed from pulverized glass pastes based on one or more powder compositions at ambient or production floor temperature using plastic flow methods including one or more of cold pressing, centrifugal method, extrusion method, or 3d printing deposition method, and where formation further includes optional demolding, drying, sintering at temperatures less than 1200 C, and annealing to achieve the desired strength and fracture toughness.60. The composite glass structure and corresponding glass objects of any of clauses 53- 59, wherein the glass matrix corresponds to a soda-glass, and the plurality of mineral inclusions are basalt or nano A12O3 fibers.61. The composite glass structure and corresponding glass objects of clauses 53-60, wherein an ion-exchange process is employed by soaking produced glass objects in a molten potassium salt bath to replace smaller sodium ions (Na+) within the glass structure by larger potassium ions (K+) from the salt for further strengthening of composite glass.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0089] FIG. 5A illustrates a schematic representation 500 of a process for incorporating one or more additives, which may include fibers and / or the like, into a glass composite object. In this example, a melt 502 is directed toward a mold 504. The mold 504, or portions thereof, may be coated with one or more additives 506. The one or more additives 506 may be sprayed, rolled, or otherwise applied to one or more regions of the mold 504. Application of the one or more additives 506 may be particularly selected so that a target thickness is applied to the melt 502 after forming within the mold 504. For example, a thickness that exceeds a target threshold may lead to a heavier resultant object without significant benefits with respect to strength or the like. In at least one embodiment, the additive 506 may be sprayed over portions of the mold 504, with different portions receiving the additive 506 to target or otherwise selectively apply the additive to different locations.

[0090] As the melt 502 enters the mold 504, the melt may still be flowable and / or malleable, and as a result, compression or other processes within the mold 504 may drive the additive 506 into a surface layer of the melt 502. The additive 506 may then be incorporated into a particular region of the resultant object, thereby overcoming problems where additive is added to the melt 502 before entering the mold 504, which may lead to settling, changes in viscosity, and / or the like. Furthermore, adding the additive 506 to the melt 502 may reduce the likelihood of effectively targeting which regions of the resultant object receive the additive 506. For example, it may be desirable to apply the additive 506 to regions that will undergo testing and / or have a highest likelihood of failure. After leaving the mold 504, and with the additive 506 pressed into or otherwise incorporated into the surface layer of the melt 502, a composite object 508 may be formed. The composite may be any type of object, such as a bottle or container, as non-limiting examples, and may further undergo one or more post-processing operations. In this manner, additive may be incorporated into a production process for glass objects.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0091] FIG. 5B illustrates a schematic representation 520 of a process for incorporating one or more additives, which may include fibers and / or the like into glass composite object. In this example, the melt 502 is directed toward the mold 504 to form an object 522. However, unlike the embodiment of FIG. 5 A, the one or more additives 506 may be added after the object 522 exits the mold 504 to then form the composite object 508. For example, the one or more additives 506 may be applied while the object 522 is still malleable. The one or more additives 506 may be added to an outer or inner surface location, as discussed herein. For example, a spray may be used to incorporate the additives 506. In at least one embodiment, the additives 506 may be mixed with a binder, which may include one or more organic or inorganic binders. Non-limiting examples of binders that may be used include an epoxy or a polyurethane resin. While the use of the epoxy would incorporate plastic into the process, the amount of plastic would be less than a total plastic object, thereby still providing the environmental benefits discussed herein.

[0092] FIG. 5C illustrates a schematic representation 520 of a process for incorporating one or more additives, which may include fibers and / or the like, into a glass composite object. In this example, the one or more additives 506 are added to the melt 502 prior to directing the melt 502 toward the mold, as illustrated by the numeral 1. As the melt 502 enters the mold 504, the melt may still be flowable and / or malleable, depending on the potential manufacturing processes used, including as not limiting examples extruding, pressing, and / or the like. The one or more additives 506 may then be incorporated into the resultant object 508 by way of incorporating into the melt 502 used to form the object 508. The composite may be any type of object, such as a bottle or container, as non-limiting examples, and may further undergo one or more post-processing operations. In this manner, additive may be incorporated into a production process for glass objects. In one or more embodiments, the one or more additives 506 may be pre-blended with glass powder 542, as shown by the numeral 2. Optionally, a solvent or water may also be added. TheAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 glass powder and additive combination may then either be added to the melt 502, as shown by the numeral 3, or applied to the mold 504, as shown by the numeral 4. In this manner, glass powders may be used to incorporate and carry the one or more additives to the component object 508.

[0093] FIG. 5D illustrates a schematic representation 560 of a process for incorporating one or more additives, which may include fibers and / or the like into glass composite object. In this example, the one or more additives may be incorporated directly into the melt 502, as shown by the numeral 1, pre-blended with the glass powder 542, as shown by the numeral 2, and then either added to the mold 502, as shown by the numeral 3, added to the mold 504, as shown by the numeral 4, or added directly to the object 522, as shown by the numeral 5. As discussed herein, the fiber and glass blend may be used to produce the melt 502, may be applied to the mold 504, or may be applied to the object 522, such as during a glazing step. Accordingly, systems and methods of the present disclosure may deploy a variety of techniques to form the composite object 508, which may include a variety of melt / mold combinations, as well as manufacturing methods such as extrusion, pressing, melting, and / or the like.

[0094] FIG. 6A illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an object 600 that may be formed using one or more methods discussed herein. In this example, the object 600 includes a bottle that has an inner glass portion 602 and a composite portion 604, thereby forming a composite glass object. The composite portion 604 may include reinforcement fibers, such as basalt fiber reinforcement, among other options, that may be formed when the reinforcement material is pressed into the malleable glass during formation. As a result, a wall thickness 606 may be reduced compared to an object without the composite portion 604, thereby providing a lighter weight and stronger object.

[0095] FIG. 6B illustrates a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an object 610 that may be formed using one or more methods discussed herein. In this example, the object 610Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 includes a bottle that has glass portion 612 with uniform, or substantially uniform, additive throughout the glass portion 612, for example, such as embodiments in which the object 610 is formed when the additives are added directly to the melt, as opposed to the mold. As a result, a wall thickness 614 may be reduced compared to an object without distributed additives forming part of the glass portion 612, thereby providing a lighter weight and stronger object.

[0096] FIG. 7A illustrates an example process 700 for forming a composite glass object. It should be appreciated that steps for the method may be performed in any order, or in parallel, unless otherwise specifically stated. Moreover, the method may include more or fewer steps. In this example, a flowable glass melt is provided 702. A variety of different types of glass may be associated with embodiments discussed herein. The flowable glass melt may be associated with a mold process in which the glass melt is injected or otherwise positioned within a mold with a desired structure. The mold with the desired structure may be provided 704 and then an additive material may be applied to at least a portion of the walls of the mold 706. The additive material may include fibers, nano-particles, nano-materials, and / or combinations thereof. In at least one embodiment, multiple additives may be included. Furthermore, the additives may be configured to be arranged in a specific configuration, such as having a certain direction, dimensionality, and / or combinations thereof. The mold may then be used to form the object using the flowable glass melt and the additive material 708. In this manner, the additive material may be added to directed portions of the object corresponding to the locations where the additive material was applied to the mold walls.

[0097] FIG. 7B illustrates an example process 720 for forming a composite glass object. In this example, a flowable glass melt is provided 722, as discussed herein. Furthermore, a mold is provided configured to receive the flowable glass material to form an object having a desired shape 724. The flowable glass material may be directed into the mold and then the object may be formedAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005726. After formation, an additive material may be applied to at least one of an inner surface or an outer surface of the object 728. For example, the additive may be mixed with an epoxy and sprayed over the outer surface, like a coating. As another example, the additive may be rolled over the object while the object is still cooling, thereby incorporating the additive material into the structure of the object.

[0098] Systems and method of the present disclosure may be used to form one or more objects, such as containers, panes, and / or the like, using a composite glass structure. The composite glass structure may incorporate organic and / or in-organic materials into at least a portion of the glass, such as at or near one or more surface locations, in order to increase a fracture toughness of the composite glass, compared to glass without the additives. In at least one embodiment, the composite glass structure may be lighter than an equivalent object made from non-composite glass because the composite glass structure may have thinner walls, and as a result use less material. Accordingly, systems and methods may be used to produce one or more objects using composite glass that may be comparable to plastics with respect to weight and strength, thereby reducing reliance on plastic and providing a recyclable material to form a variety of different objects.

[0099] One or more embodiments may include a glass structure that includes both glass and one or more additives, which may be referred to as a composite glass or a composite glass structure. The additives may include a variety of different organic and / or inorganic materials that may be incorporated into one or more regions of the composite glass, such as at or near a surface location, to increase one or more properties, such as fracture toughness. In at least one embodiment, the additives include one or more materials with a melting point below the associated glass structure. In at least one embodiment, the additives include one or more materials with a melting point at or above the associated glass structure. The additives may include a variety of materials, such as NFs, NPs, NMs, basalt fibers, organic fibers (e.g., cellulose, coconut, bamboo, etc.), and / orAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 combinations thereof. Various embodiments may refer to the fibers as objects that have a different chemistry from the base glass structure. The addition of the additives may be used to increase the fracture toughness of the glass, thereby resulting in glass objects that may be made with thinner walls, less material, and as a result, less weight than other glass structures.

[0100] In at least one embodiment, the location of the additives may be targeted. For example, the one or more additives may be applied to a mold to form a composite glass object and / or may be rolled over a pane, among other embodiments. Accordingly, systems and methods may overcome problems associated with additive additions to a melt itself, which may settle and then produce non-uniform distributions and / or non-aligned distributions, as discussed herein. Furthermore, various embodiments may be used to particularly target locations for additive addition, such as at test point or certain weak points, which may not be possible when additives are dispersed into the melt prior to mold injection. In this manner, systems and methods may be used to customize a variety of different composite glass objects.EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0101] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to form one or more objects, such as composite glass objects, which may a variety of applications such as the non-limiting examples of bottles, containers, automotive materials, windows, solar cells, electronic components, lenses, and / or the like. Various embodiments may use recycled glass granulate doped with fibers, which may include nano-sized, submi cron-sized, and / or millimetersized fibers as a component of a glass melt used to form various objects. As discussed herein, systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used to provide an improved glass base for the formulation of a variety of different objects. In one non-limiting examples, basalt fibers may be incorporated into a glass structure to provide improved strength with a reduced weight. That is, a strength of an object formed using the improved glass structure of embodiments of the presentAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 disclosure may be greater than an equivalently shaped / sized object formed from traditional glass, while also weighing less. Furthermore, at least one embodiment of the present disclosure may use waste glass granulate to form at least a portion of the compositive glass. In this manner, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved of mechanical properties, including hardness, crack resistance, and fracture toughness, while providing lighter weight glass structures that can be formed, at least in part, from recyclable materials.

[0102] Systems and methods of the present disclosure may provide improvements other traditional glass objects, such as those made from standard bottle / window glass with up to approximately 10% of waste glass powder / granulate. As discussed herein, embodiments of the present disclosure may incorporate various nanofibers and / or basalt fibers into a glass structure. For example, a first sample configuration may include 0.25% nanofibers (e.g., standard bottle / window glass with 10% of granulated waste glass containing 2.5% nanofibers) while a second sample configuration may include 1% basalt fibers (e.g., standard bottle / window glass with 1% of short (<3 mm, mechanically activated by milling) basalt fibers). As another example, a third sample configuration may include 1% of basalt fibers and 0.25% nanofibers (e.g., standard bottle / window glass with 10% of granulated waste glass containing 2.5% nanofibers).

[0103] FIG. 8A illustrates a graphical representation 800 of example recycled glass used to form the different sample configurations. As shown, the recycled glass includes an amorphous structure of suitable waste glass with an absence of crystalline inclusions. In one or more embodiments, the recycled glass may be used to form at least a portion of a glass melt or a glass substrate that may be doped or otherwise associated with one or more additives, such as fibers. As discussed herein, the additives may be incorporated into a surface location, distributed through different portions of the glass, and / or the combinations thereof.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0104] FIG. 8B illustrates a schematic representation 810 of a structure and preparation for A12O3 nanofiber suspension, which may be used with embodiments of the present disclosure for granulation with waste glass. In this example, a processing configuration 812 includes an ultrasonic processor 814, which may also be referred to as sonicator. In operation, a probe 816 may be used to emit high-frequency sound waves into a holding tank 818 that may include a slurry solution, such as a slurry that includes, at least in part, nanofibers 818. The high-frequency sound waves emitted by the probe 814 may cause microscope bubbles to form in the slurry, which may then collapse to breakdown particles and disperse the nanofibers 818 within the slurry. In this example, cooling water 820 may be injected into a sleeve to absorb and dissipate some of the heat caused by the addition of the high-frequency sound waves. As a result, a sample with dispersed nanofibers 824 may be produced from the configuration 812.

[0105] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to generate the dispersed nanofibers 824 within a glass matrix. As discussed here, dispersal may be preferential over collected areas of nanofibers to provide a more uniform structure and strengthening to an object formed from the glass matrix, but in other embodiments, targeted strengthening may be used in place of, or in addition to, dispersion. For example, effective dispersion can be realized in aqueous or polar organic compound solutions with one or more surfactants further processed by ultrasonication (as shown in FIG. 8B), high-speed / colloidal mixing, milling, and / or combination of these methods as demonstrated. The final dispersed nanofiber product (e.g., dispersed NF 824) may have properties corresponding to the test configuration shown in Table 8.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 8 - Properties of sample dispersed nanofiber product

[0106] In one or more embodiments, it may be preferable to deposit the product onto glass seeds, such as glass powder or waste glass powder. In embodiments, the proportion of nanomaterial (counted as dry content) to glass powder can vary from 1 : 1 to 1 :99, and in this specific non-limiting example, targeting the use of 0.25% of nanofibers 3 parts by weight (75%) of waste glass was granulated with 1 part by weight (25%) of nanofibers. Furthermore, in the example water and small quantities of surfactant, which are important for dispersion and granulation process, are not reported as these materials are removed during glass processing. The granulation process can be realized using, as an example, a disk granulator or any mixer to produce small pellets with the size from 1 mm to 35 mm for consequent addition to the main glass batch, which may be used for melting to form a flowable, moldable glass melt.

[0107] As discussed herein, example embodiments may compare the different SampleConfigurations 1-3, as shown in Tables 9 and 10.Table 9 - Reference 1 Sample 1 ConfigurationAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 10 - Reference 2 Samples 2-4-2 Configurations

[0108] Testing of fracture toughness for the samples was performed using an indentation technique for the five samples of composite class and two reference materials. Measurements were performed under two applied loads: 500 g and 1 kg. Crack lengths and hardness values were obtained from the resulting indentations. The fracture toughness (K_IC) was calculated using the Evans-Tanaka approach, as shown in Equations (1) and (2):KIC= Yff / na, (1)KIC= 0.0725 X ^=, (2) where Y is a geometry dependent factor, G is the applied stress, a is the crack length, P is the applied load, and I is the half-crack length.

[0109] In the example, 1 kg and 0.5 kg of force were used and fracture toughness for each sample was determined as shown in Table 11. To perform the experiment, samples were coated with a thin, electrically conductive layer of metal or graphite (carbon) using a Quorum QI 50V ES Plus sputter coater. Chemical and microstructural analyses were performed using a FEOL JSM-7600F scanning electron microscope (SEM) at various indent locations, with magnifications ranging from 200 x to 5000*.Table 11 - Experimental Fracture Toughness

[0110] The operational temperature to produce the composite glass is 1500 °C, which corresponds to the temperature used in the glass industry. The lowest tested temperature was 1300Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005°C, which may not be suitable for bottle production due to high viscosity of the melt, however, resulting in a glass with the highest fracture toughness around 1.6 MPa.^m. Initial tests demonstrated that with addition of nanofibers, the length of the cracks was reduced by 13%. EDX analysis revealed the increase in aluminum content from 0.29% (reference) to 0.54% (for nanofiber-based specimen).

[0111] Because the fibers are used to improve the fracture toughness and crack resistance, the results did not indicate an improvement of hardness. However, the fracture toughness was improved vs reference for all the compositions with basalt and nano fibers when produced at operational melting temperature 1500 °C, as shown in Table 12. In addition, the production of glass at lower melting temperatures was explored and yielded promising results.Table 12: The fracture toughness summary of the experimental specimens produced at operational melting temperature 1500 °C

[0112] FIGS. 8C-8E illustrate crack arrest features 820, 830, 840 observed for composite glass using secondary electron imaging providing topographic information of fractured surface (FIG. 8C), backscattered electron imaging proving a chemical imaging (FIG. 8D), and crack pinning due to incorporation of nano-alumina fibers (FIG. 8E). As shown, the visual presence of the nanofibers 822, as well as other tested fibers, after the melting process was not verified by optical microscopy and SEM as glass remained transparent. Well dispersed nanofibers cannot beAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 observed under such conditions, however, the EDX analysis revealed the structural heterogeneity demonstrated by the increase in aluminum content from 0.29% (reference) to 0.54% (for nanofiber-based specimen). Therefore, the EDX analysis demonstrated the increased presence of aluminum in some zones when alumina nanofibers were added to the mixture. Here, the increase in fracture toughness can be related to structural heterogeneity and localized increase in alumina content.

[0113] As discussed, all tested fibers were homogeneously dispersed in the soda-lime glass and appear to be well incorporated into the melt. Therefore, the positive effects on fracture toughness from individual fibers and fiber-matrix interfaces can be further enhanced by engineering the interfaces and preserve the fibers within the glass matrix. This enhancement can be achieved by some or all of:• Preserving the alumina nano / basalt fibers by using a low-temperature (20-150 C) or intermediate temperature (500-750 C) consolidation with an application of mechanical pressure;• Protecting nano / basalt fibers by refractory coating or changing composition at the interface;• Incorporation of nano / basalt fibers at the surface area by chemical treatments, followed by low-temperature heat treatments forming a fiber layer only on the surface;• Optimizing the glass composition to maximize the compatibility with fillers and fibers; or• Thermal and surface treatments to enhance strength.

[0114] FIG. 9A illustrates a schematic representation 900 of a process for incorporating one or more additives, which may include fibers and / or the like, into a glass melt in order to form a glass composite object. In this example, one or more additives, such as fiber additives, from an additive source 902 may undergo one or more preparation processes 904, which may include processes such as dispersion using one or more surfactants, milling, and / or the like. Furthermore,Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 as discussed herein, preparation processes 904 may include formation of the one or more additives, which may include forming micro- and / or nano-sized fibers and / or particles. In at least one embodiment, the additive source 902 includes fibers / particles that may include one or more of steel alloy fibers, shape memory alloy fibers, a bulk metallic glass (BMG), a BMG-matrix composite fibers, a glass fibers, an E-glass, an S-glass, an A-glass, a C-glass, an AR-glass, basalt fibers, mullite fibers, wollastonite fibers, sepiolite fibers, zirconium dioxide (ZrCh) fibers, yttria- stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibers, carbon fibers, bamboo fibers, organic fibers, or combinations thereof.

[0115] Another example of the one or more preparation processes 904 may include preblending and / or preparing for deposition over glass powders. The glass powders may have a similar, or different, composition than a melt 906.

[0116] In this example, the melt 906 is combined with the prepared additives using one or more combination processes 908, which may include processes such as dispersion of the one or more prepared additives within the melt, addition of the glass powders to the melt 906, and / or the like. As discussed herein, temperature may be controlled or targeted with the combination processes 904 to maintain a target temperature range (e.g., between 700 °C and 1300 °C). After combination, a mixed additive melt 910 may be formed. The mixed additive melt 910 may have target configurations of the additive with respect to the melt 910, such as uniform dispersion, targeted dispersion, and / or the like. For example, it may be desirable to uniformly distribute the one or more additives through the melt 910 in order to provide a uniform improved strength throughout. However, in some embodiments, it may also, or alternatively, be desirable to target specific regions for further strengthening, such as regions that are anticipated to be subject to greater loads. The mixed additive melt 910 may be injected into a mold 912. Injection may be performed under pressure and within one or more target temperature ranges. After molding, oneAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 or more treatment processes 914 may be performed, which may include one more of annealing or using one or more ion exchange processes. Annealing may be performed to obtain a target strength and fracture toughness. After annealing, a composite object 916 having the target strength and fracture toughness may be produced.

[0117] FIG. 9B illustrates a schematic representation 930 of a process for incorporating one or more additives into a glass substrate to form a composite object. In this example, the additive source 902 may again be used to provide one or more fibers for incorporation into a substrate 932. Additive source 902 may undergo one or more preparation steps 904, as discussed herein, and may then be combined with the substrate 932 using one or more combination processes 934. In one or more embodiments, the substrate 932 may include pulverized glass, which when combined with the additives, may form a combined structure 936. The combined structure 936 may be produced at an ambient / production floor temperature. One or more formation processes 938 may be used to form and density the combined structure 936, such as cold pressing, centrifugal methods, extrusion methods, and / or 3D printing. Additionally, treatment processes 940 may also be applied to achieve a desired strength and fracture toughness, such as demolding, drying, sintering, and / or annealing. In this manner, a composite object 942 may be formed.

[0118] FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate example schematic representations 1000, 1010, 1020 of glass composite structures that may be produced using embodiments of the present disclosure. In at least one embodiment, the one or more additives 1002 may be uniformly, or substantially uniformly, dispersed throughout a glass matrix 1004, as shown in FIG. 10A. However, in other embodiments, there may be a clearly defined interface 1006 between the glass matrix 1004 and the one or more additives 1004, as shown in FIG. 10B. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment, the one or more additives 1004 may melt, or partially melt, within the glass matrix 1004 during deformation, but after cooling, chemically distinct inclusions / phases 1008 may be formed withinAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 a structure of the glass matrix 1004, as shown in FIG. 10C. As discussed herein, irregularities provide strengthening and benefits to the end component structure. For example, partial or complete melting creates the structures are sub-micron / nano / atomic level. As a result, in at least one embodiment, manufacturing processes may be configured such that fibers can undergo phase changes (e.g., pure nano alumina) transforms to “he-phase” from alpha / gamma phase. Additionally, basalt also has minerals that could undergo the phase transformer. These phase transformations may serve to pre-stress the material, leading to strengthening. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to form a variety of different glass compositions.

[0119] FIG. 11A illustrates an example process 1100 for forming a composite glass object. In this example, a flowable glass melt is formed 1102. Additionally, one or more fiber additives are applied to at least a portion of an interior surface of a mold 1104. One embodiment of the process also includes directing the flowable glass melt into the mold 1106. As the flowable glass melt is directed into the mold, at least a portion of the flowable glass melt may be positioned along at least the portion of the interior surface. In at least one embodiment, a composite glass object is formed within the mold 1108. The composite glass object may have a chemical structure including at least a first chemical structure of the flowable glass melt and a second chemical structure of the one or more additives. In at least one embodiment, one or more of a controlled cooling operation, a post-cooling thermal treatment, and / or a chemical treatment is performed 1110. The one or more operations / treatments may be used to form a desired microstructure and improved mechanical performance.

[0120] FIG. 1 IB illustrates an example process 1120 for forming a composite glass object. In this example, a flowable glass melt with one or more fiber additives is formed 1122. Additionally, the composite additive-modified flowable glass melt is directed into a mold toAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 position the flowable glass melt along the interior surface 1124. Within the mold, a composite glass object may be formed 1126. In at least one embodiment, the composite glass object includes a structure with at least one or more fiber additives, which can remain as a separate phase with a clearly defined interface between a glass matrix and the one or more fibers additives. Additionally, or alternatively, upon cooling, chemically distinct inclusions within the structure of the glass matrix may be formed 1128. Thereafter, the process may include causing at least one controlled cooling and / or post cooling therm al / chemi cal treatment of a composite glass object to form the desired microstructure and improved mechanical performance 1130.

[0121] FIGS. 12A-12C illustrate schematic representations 1200 of example configurations for forming one or more composite objects used systems and methods discussed herein. It should be appreciated that embodiments may combine or otherwise use multiple different methods for a singular object, such as extruding features that may then be added to a melt used for blowing or forming. FIG. 12A illustrates a schematic representation 1202 of a blow and blow glass forming process that may incorporate features of the present disclosure, such as the melt formed by adding one or more additives discussed herein. As shown, the melt 1204 is directed into a mold 1206 and then an input force 1208, such as a pneumatic force, is used to drive the melt 1204 against walls of the mold 1206, thereby forming the object 1210. The melt 1204 used in the process may include glass melt that is doped or otherwise combined with one or more additives, as discussed herein.

[0122] FIG. 12B illustrates a schematic representation 1220 for a hot pressing process in which the melt 1204 is provided within a structure 1222 and then compression forces are used to form or otherwise drive the melt 1204 into a target shape. FIG. 12C illustrates a schematic representation 1230 for an extrusion 3D printing process in which a feed tube 1232 is used to direct a composite glass formulation 1234 to be used as a filament for a 3D printing process. Accordingly,Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 systems and methods of the present disclosure may be used to generate a base composite melt / structure that may be used with a range of different manufacturing techniques.

[0123] FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate representations 1300, 1310, 1320 of fibers treated with nano-particles, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. As discussed herein, deposition may be performed using one or more methods, such as forming an aqueous solution that is used to soak the fibers and then evaporate the solvent / water, thereby coating the fibers with nanoparticles. In this manner, particles may be formed for use as additives for formation of glass composites.Experimental Results

[0124] One or more embodiments of the present disclosure have been experimentally verified to illustrate preservation of basalt and nano-A12O3 fibers within a glass melt and / or low temperature (e.g., below approximately 1000 °C) production pathways. In these experiments, systems and methods of the present disclosure were tested against composition of components used to produce composite glass; casting of molten glass on the fibers or fibers / glass mixture; verification via high temperature microscope techniques; hot press to transfer to cold pressing and 3D printing; and fibers with nanoparticles of SiO2, ZrO2, Yttria-stabilized Zirconia.

[0125] In at least one embodiment, systems and methods of the present disclosure were demonstrated as being suitable for scaling for production of a variety of containers or components, such as bottles or glass components used in a variety of industries, such as construction or semiconductors, among others. Table 13 below illustrates compositions of components used to produce composite glass, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Table 13 - The composition of glass types used to produce composite glass[00126J As shown, different components illustrate the use of A-Glass, R-Glass, and C- Glass. For example, the A-Glass may include a mix of nano-A12O3 fibers with waste bottle / window glass powder manufactured in the USA, further designated as R-Glass. The standard bottle glass cullet, C-Glass, with a size of 5-8 mm as supplied by a manufacturer from Europe was used in the investigation. Measurements were performed on an S8 Tiger X-ray fluorescence wave dispersion spectrometer from BRUCKER™. The evaluation of the results was performed using QuantEXPRESS software (semi-quantitative analysis), but it should be appreciated that a variety of techniques may be used within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0127] As shown in Table 13, the composition of R-Glass (USA) and C-Glass (Europe) is very similar, with minor differences in A12O3 and Fe2O3 contents, but very close contents of the main glass forming oxides, SiO2 and Na2O. The composition of A-Glass is characterized by elevated content of A12O3 due to the use of nanofibers. In at least one embodiment, systems and methods of the present disclosure include casting fibers or fiber / glass mixtures onto molten glass. It may be demonstrated that A-glass (e.g., mix of nano-A12O3 fibers with waste bottle / window glass from the USA) can be incorporated as a separate layer into main glass (C-glass) melt at the temperature of up to 1400 °C. For example, experimental procedures included dispersing a sample of A-Glass in isopropyl alcohol to prepare a homogeneous suspension, free or substantially free of lumps and agglomerates. The resulting suspension was then poured onto a metal plate serving asAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 a substrate for casting molten glass. The plate was then placed in a drying oven at 50 °C for 15 minutes to ensure complete (or substantially complete and / or within a threshold) evaporation of the isopropyl alcohol and stabilization of the layer before glass application, as shown in FIG. 14A. For example, the sample structure 1400 includes A-glass 1402, which may include A-glass with nano-A12O3. Additionally, C-glass 1404 is illustrated. A magnified view 1406 illustrates the A- glass 1402 (e.g., as a mix of nano-A12O3 fibers with waste bottle / window glass powder) arranged over the C-glass 1404 with an interface layer 1408 between the two types of glass. In operation, and after drying, soda-lime glass (C-Glass) was poured onto the prepared surface and melted at 1400 °C in platinum-rhodium (PtRh) crucibles using a high-temperature elevator furnace (Clasic 0718E) for 4 hours. For annealing, a muffle furnace (LE 1511 Ht60Bl) was used, starting at 530 °C. The samples were annealed for 20 hours until they cooled gradually to room temperature (25 °C). Therefore, composite glass sample illustrated in FIG. 14A were prepared by casting molten C-Glass on the A-Glass (T1A1 / T1A2) or R-Glass (T1R1 / T1R2) films, which were cut by a slow- running diamond saw to observe the interfaces. The interfaces 1408 were observed directly by SEM microscopy shown in the magnified view 1406. This procedure enabled the formation of a thin modified layer, where A-Glass acts as a functional base with the potential to boost the final performance of the resulting composite glass material. Accordingly, the resulting nanofiber- reinforced glass layer can provide enhancement of mechanical and fracture properties at a specific bottle location (e.g., neck or groove / tread to accommodate the cap). FIG. 14B illustrates the structure of nanofiber- reinforced glass layer.

[0128] As discussed herein, embodiments of the present disclosure may be used to generate a composite glass object that may include selective strengthening of different portions or regions of a base object. In the non-limiting example of a bottle, critical locations may include a finish area, a neck area, a shoulder area, and / or a body area, among other general defects that may beAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 evaluated during inspection. Systems and methods may be used to selectively apply the strengthening layer to the critical bottle locations, such as those with lower thickness or higher stress loading, to provide a selectively reinforced object that still maintains its lightweight properties.

[0129] Various embodiments prepared the C-Glass sample in the form of 8.4 x 1.9 x 3.8 mm prism. Sizing was selected for example purposes only and is not intended to limit the use or scope of the present applications. Nano-fibers were placed on the glass surface, appearing as visible agglomerates or bundles. The resulting sample was subsequently placed into a Hot Stage Microscope (ZEISS™), where a thermal experiment was conducted in the temperature range from 25 °C to 1180 °C with a constant heating rate of 5 °C / min. Several changes in the appearance and structure of the sample were observed during heating. At approximately 730 °C, softening and initial melting of the C-Glass substrate occurred. Around 970 °C, a noticeable change in the positioning of the fibers was observed. At approximately 1030 °C, a probable reaction between the fibers and the glass matrix began, promoting gradual dissolution of the fibers. This process concluded at 1180 °C, where the fibers were fully incorporated within the base glass structure. High-temperature microscopy thus confirmed a progressive interaction between the fibers and the C-Glass substrate, with complete integration occurring at approximately 1180 °C. It was observed that when deposited on the glass surface, nano-fibers start to interact with molten glass at the temperature of 850 - 970 °C, and completely integrate, forming a composite glass at approximately 1120 °C. The resulting composite glass samples 1500 as shown in FIG. 15, labeled T3 Fiber 1502 and T3 A-Glass 1504, as observed under SEM with a demonstrated high stability of the fibers at high temperature.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005

[0130] One or more embodiments implemented the use of a hot press to incorporate basalt and nano-A12O3 fibers. For this experiment, two corresponding compositions T2BZ1 and T2A1 were prepared. For T2A1 sample, A-glass powder with nano-A12O3 fibers was directly pressed in the graphite hot-press inside the graphite die with diameter of 10 mm under a load of 10 MPa, and after the shrinkage started (450 °C), the pressure increased up to 18 MPa. The process was stopped at a temperature of 550 °C, at which point the sample was densified. For T2BZ1 sample, R-glass was inserted directly into the 10 mm graphite die, followed by the addition of basalt fibers, then a second layer of R-glass to cover the fibers from the top. The graphite die was inserted in the hot- press and sintered under pressure of 10 MPa, and after the shrinkage started (450 °C), the pressure increased up to 20 MPa, and it was stopped at a temperature of 520 °C, at which point the sample was densified. Both samples were cooled down in the hot-press environment without temperature control and had a black color appearance. Here, carbon can be used to form carbide refractory coatings on the fibers. In addition, quenching in the oxidation furnace can be used to remove residual carbon and possible internal stresses.

[0131] As discussed herein, one or more embodiments, can be further extended to cold pressing and 3D printing applications. Cold pressing and 3D printing applications are emerging technologies for glass items with unique shapes (including auxetic) and unique properties. Embodiments of the present disclosure have demonstrated that the fibers can be effectively incorporated into glass structure during hot pressing and the use of fiber-glass powder mix can be used to integrate the fibers into the parent glass structure. Here, the design of dense interface can be achieved by using fiber-glass powder-nano-particle blends prepared to achieve desired fiber content in the composite glass. The application of the concept to produce auxetic glass bottles using 3D printing is demonstrated in FIG. 16. As shown, a multi-step process 1600 includes steps to initiate a bipartite network 1602, develop colinear polygons 1604, and establish a constant sizeAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 ratio 1606. In this manner, a rigid model unit 1608 is produced having a final auxetic material 1610. In at least one embodiment, the use of the auxetic / 3D printed objects incorporates micro / macro-defects for easy recycling and enhanced impact energy absorption.

[0132] In one or more embodiments, it may be observed that at very high production temperatures, up to 1600 °C and high alkalinity of the melt, additional fiber protection is needed and / or desirable. Specifically, basalt fibers of the present disclosure may be coated with nanoparticles of SiO2, ZrO2, and Yttria-stabilized Zirconia (YSZ). Furthermore, systems and methods may incorporate the use of Phosphoric Acid (PA) or buffered PA, such as monopotassium phosphate (MKP), to react with nanoparticles (e.g., metal or ceramic oxide, such as ZrO2 or YSZ) to form a refractory coating on the surface of the fiber. Such treatment procedure can be accompanied by a removal of polymer seasoning on the mineral fibers in order to achieve a permanently bonded refractory layer. FIG. 17A schematically illustrates a process 1700 that includes deposition of a mixture 1702 onto a surface 1704 with evaporation 1706 to produce a final deposition 1708 of nanoparticles and fibers. The final deposition 1708 includes fibers 1710 that are coated with the nanoparticles 1712, which may then be incorporated into glass structures, as discussed herein. FIGS. 17B and 17C illustrate further representations of the fibers 1710 coated with the nanoparticles and the accumulation of the mixture 1702 along the fibers 1710.

[0133] In one or more embodiments, basalt fibers with a protective layer of nano SiO2 and YSZ were deposited onto the surface of ceramic tile substrates designated as S-BZS and YZ-BZS and coated by a tile sample of C-glass (soda-lime glass) with dimensions of approximately 25 x 25 mm and a thickness of 3.8 mm. The prepared assembly was subsequently introduced into a high-temperature electric furnace (NETZSCH™) at an initial temperature of 25 °C and subjected to a controlled linear heating at a rate of 10 °C / min up to a maximum temperature of 1000 °C, followed by a cooling cycle at a rate of 1 °C / min until ambient laboratory temperature was reached.Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005Upon completion of the entire process, the specimen was removed from the furnace and in order to examine the fiber incorporation and structural integrity of the material. FIG. 18 illustrates examination 1800 of the fibers 1710 and the nanoparticle coating 1712. After examination, the specimens were subjected to a second cycle of heat treatment up to a maximum temperature of 1200 °C and annealed using the same protocol. The resulting composite glass samples S-BZS 1802 and YZ-BZS 1804 were observed under microscope and demonstrated successful incorporation of coated basalt fibers at high temperature of 1200 °C.

[0134] Although the technology herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present technology. It is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Attorney Docket No.: 082408.000005CLAIMS1. A method, compri si n : forming a flowable glass melt; applying, to at least a portion of an interior surface of a mold, one or more fiber additives; directing the flowable glass melt into the mold to position at least a portion of the flowable glass melt along at least the portion of the interior surface; forming, within the mold, a composite glass object having a chemical structure including at least a first chemical structure of the flowable glass melt and a second chemical structure of the one or more additives; and causing one or more of a cooling operation, a post-cooling thermal treatment, or a chemical treatment to be performed on the composite glass object to form at least one of a target microstructure or one or more target mechanical performance parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite glass object includes a glass composition chemical structure having a first phase that is different from a second phase, and wherein at least a portion of the flowable glass melt or the one or more fiber additives are preblended in a solid state, corresponding to a production floor temperature, prior to melting to a liquid state at a temperature between approximately 1300 degree Celsius and approximately 1650 degrees Celsius.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite glass object comprises at least one of: a uniform single phase composition object; a multi-phase object including a first phase for the one or more fiber additives and a second phase for a glass matrix, with a defined interface between the first phase and the second phase; or a composition object including chemically distinct inclusions, associated with the one or more fiber additives, within the glass matrix.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more fiber additives include at least one of steel alloy fibers, shape memory alloy fibers, a bulk metallic glass (BMG), a BMG-matrixAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 composite fibers, a glass fibers, an E-glass, an S-glass, an A-glass, a C-glass, an AR-glass, basalt fibers, mullite fibers, wollastonite fibers, sepiolite fibers, aluminum oxide (A12O3) fibers, zirconium dioxide (ZrCh) fibers, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibers, carbon fibers, bamboo fibers, organic fibers, or combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite glass object has a lower weight than an equivalent glass object formed without the one or fiber additives, and wherein the composite glass object has an improved fracture toughness than an equivalent glass object formed without the one or more fiber additives.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more fiber additives include nanofibers or nanoparticles.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the nanoparticles have at least one dimension less than 100 nanometers, wherein the nanoparticles include at least one of zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, or two-dimensional nano structures, and the nanoparticles are selected from a group including at least one of nano silver, silicon dioxide (SiO2), aluminum oxide (A12O3), titanium dioxide (TiO2), carbon structures including CNT, CNF, graphene, graphene oxide, fullerenes, astralens, nanodiamonds, zirconium dioxide (ZrO2), YSZ, zirconium carbonitride, SisN4, SiC, ZrB2, HfB2, ZrC, TaC, NbC, HfN, iron dioxide (Fe C>3), zinc oxide (ZnO), cerium oxide (CeCh), clay nanoparticles, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more fiber additives include at least one of micron- or nano-sized particles, further comprising: pre-blending the one or more fiber additives; and depositing the one or more fiber additives onto one or more glass powders having at least one of a similar composition or a different composition compared to the flowable glass melt, wherein the one or more fiber additives are configured to create a uniform dispersion within the flowable glass melt.Atorney Docket No.: 082408.0000059. The method of claim 8, further comprising: prior to the depositing, dispersing the one or more fiber additives with a surfactant to form a water-based slurry.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: pre-coating at least a portion of the one or more fiber additives to form a refractory shield, wherein the one or more fiber additives or coatings are selected from a group comprising at least one of phosphates, borides, nitrides, and carbides of Group III-V metals of periodic table, such as Zirconium / YSZ Phosphates (Zirconium / YSZ Hydrogen Phosphates), ZrB2, HfB2, LaB6, YB6, ZrC, TaC, NbC, HfN, further doped with rare-earth additives such as La2O3 and Gd2O3; ZrB2-HfB2, ZrB2-ZrC (20% by volume of SiC, called ZS20), ZS20-LaB6, (5% by weight of LaB6), ZrB2-SiC (5% by volume of SiC), HfB2-SiC (20% by volume of SiC)- LaB6 (5% by weight of LaB6), or combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein coatings are less than 10% by weight of a coated fiber.

12. A composite glass structure, comprising: a glass matrix; and a plurality of additives incorporated into the glass matrix, wherein the plurality of additives include one or more fibers between 100 nanometers and 5 millimeters in length having a weight of at least 0.01 percent of a total weight of the composite glass structure.

13. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the additives have an average fiber diameter of between 0.5 nanometers and 20 micrometers.

14. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein a first chemical formulation of the glass matrix is different from a second chemical formulation of the plurality of additives.

15. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the composite glass structure is used to form one or more target shapes including at least one of a bottle, a jar, a container, aAttorney Docket No.: 082408.000005 block, a tile, a flat, or a tube.

16. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the glass matrix corresponds to a soda-glass and the plurality of additives are basalt fibers.

17. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the composite glass structure is formed by incorporating the plurality of additives into a melt and then annealed after removal from a mold.

18. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the composite glass structure is formed in a cold state, corresponding to a production floor temperature, from a pulverized glass powder composition using at least one of cold pressing, hot pressing, sintering, or annealing.

19. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the composite glass structure is formed in a cold state, corresponding to a production floor temperature, from a pulverized glass paste composition using one or more plastic flow methods including at least one of cold pressing, centrifugal, extrusion, or three-dimensional deposition.

20. The composite glass structure of claim 12, wherein the composite glass structure is strengthened using an ion-exchange process.

21. The composite glass structure of claim 21, wherein the ion-exchange process comprises soaking produced glass objects, corresponding to the composite glass structure, in a molten potassium salt bath to replace smaller sodium ions (Na+) within the composite glass structure with larger potassium ions (K+) from molten potassium salt.

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